Samsung Aims to Lead the UAE’s Home Appliance Market

Betting on steady growth, Samsung expands market share in UAE

Samsung Gulf Electronics has expanded its position in the GCC’s home appliance market, according to market research firm Gfk. From 2014 to 2015 in the UAE, Samsung bolstered its market share in refrigerators by 13.3%, far outpacing competitors, and shored up a healthy 9.09% increase in the washing machine category.

The company’s sustained growth in both categories sends a signal that Samsung may be well on its way to being the world’s biggest appliance maker, a declaration made by Samsung’s co-chief executive officer in charge of consumer products B.K. Yoon at CES in 2014.

Commenting on the company’s steadfast growth, Vinod Nair, head of Consumer Electronics at Samsung Gulf Electronics, said, “This fiscal year has been our most successful in the Gulf region. In August alone in the UAE, we achieved a record-breaking market share of 25.2 percent for our refrigerator line, and 20.3 percent for our washing machines. The continued success of our entire line of home appliances and premium products in particular is the result of our commitment to making products that are thoughtfully designed and guaranteed to bring convenience and ease to every home.”

The rise in Samsung’s share of the market is a signal that consumers are placing a premium on high quality refrigerators, customized to market needs.

In the refrigerator category, Samsung has been making gains across the Gulf region. The pace was set by Samsung’s energy-efficient products that are also intuitive and easy-to-use. The best-selling RT6000, for one, has digital inverter compressor which enables energy saving by up to 47% compared to a conventional refrigerator.

Another contributing factor to Samsung’s regional ascent was the Samsung Activ DualWash. The top-loaded washer was designed on insight that a significant portion of consumers pre-treat and handwash their clothing before tossing them into a washing machine. This leaves them struggling to carry their wet laundry from the tub to the machine. But with the Activ DualWash, consumers can now scrub clothing on the machine’s gentle scrubbing surface before dropping them right into the drum. Selling more than one million units worldwide, and 3,500 units per day, the ActivDual Wash is Samsung’s most successful washing machine to date.

“Our continued leadership in the home appliance category is owed to ingenious and people-focused products such as the Acitv DualWash,” Nair said.

He added, “These figures also come at an exciting time for our loyal customers. We are heading into the holidays with a strong line-up of products, and we are excited to offer top-line refrigerators, microwaves, washing machines that make it easy to keep the season festive and welcoming.”