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New Year – a new increase in the price of electronics and household appliances. Market analysts warned late last year that there would be a price difference between black and white equipment after global manufacturers announced a hike in chips.
Consumers are already feeling the rising prices of some goods such as televisions, smartphones and tablets. At the beginning of the new year, there is no shortage of people looking to renew their old appliances. Once they enter the shops, however, they begin to calculate how deep they need to go into their pockets.
Residents of Stara Zagora, who have been heating on gas so far, have been looking for an alternative for months. But it is unlikely to be much cheaper for them, as the prices of household appliances have risen. A buying decision cannot be delayed too long, market analysts say. The forecasts are that the prices of appliances for which chips are a key component will continue to rise. In the last two years alone, the average increase has been between 25 and 30%. Both due to the pandemic and due to the increase in the price of the main parts that go into production.
“When it comes to computers, tablets, phones, the increase in the price of chips affects the price of the product with the largest percentage,” says Marin Zgurev, manager and owner of an electrical appliance store. The difference isn’t as clear with washing machines and refrigerators, because their price is determined by that of the metal and the volume of appliances, explains the industry. “A 20-30% increase in potato chips will not lead to an increase in the price of major household appliances by more than 1-2% at most. So far, the trend of the first half of the year, compared with the previous year, in household appliances it jumped between 5 and 7 percent to the producers, as it passes through transport, this is reflected in the final price – between 10 and 12 percent in the price to the customer,” Zgurev also commented to NOVA.
The increase in the price of chips also affects the automotive industry. The industry is also reporting difficulties in production. “Due to the shortage of semiconductors, expectations are similar this year. Difficulties with chip suppliers will continue,” explains Alexander Kostadinov of the Association of Automobile Manufacturers. And another wave of COVID in China is impacting chip supplies. Therefore, the industry does not rule out further delays. “With electric cars, the batteries are one of the most important components and a lot of the batteries come from China, so expectations aren’t too rosy,” adds Kostadinov.
Therefore, experts advise consumers not to postpone their technology purchases until their prices are even higher against the backdrop of runaway inflation.
