Capital Goods: Sector Update | 7 November 2016
India Room Air Conditioners
Please refer our detailed
report dated April 2016
Lloyd Electric
Channel checks indicate strong volume growth and market share gains
We recently interacted with distributors/dealers of Lloyd Electric & Engineering
(LEE) to understand growth trajectory of the Indian air conditioning market, as
well as to cognize factors that have led to LEE’s strong growth in recent years, with
its market share increasing to 13-14% in CY16 (<8% in CY13). Key takeaways from
our meeting are as follows:
Key drivers of strong market share gains: distribution, pricing, advertising,
dealer margins and a reliable product
LEE, one of the top four players in the industry, has witnessed strong growth over
past 2–3 years, with its market share increasing to 13-14% in CY16 (<8% in CY13).
Key drivers of this robust performance are:
Distributor network:
LEE has focused on growing its distributor network;
however, it has adopted a strategy of having only one exclusive
dealer/distributor per district to avoid competition among dealers/distributors.
This is unlike competitors, and has helped it convert dealers to store its
products.
Reliable brand/product:
Lloyd has laid strong emphasis on product quality,
which has helped it earn customer trust and faith.
Advertising:
Lloyd is a 60-year-old brand with strong recall in the commercial air
conditioning space. Over past three years, it has increased ad spends and also
taken share in the room air conditioning space. Ad spends were particularly
stepped up during cricket tournaments like IPL and T20 World Cup.
Pricing:
Lloyd is priced ~INR2,500-3,000/unit below Voltas. This has helped it
take share from Voltas over past two years.
Dealer margins:
LEE this year has offered additional incentives to
dealers/distributors of up to 8-10% on top of regular margins, which too has
helped it gain market share.
Aircon industry up 20-25% in CY16 YTD
Indian air conditioner industry growth has been 20-25% YoY in CY16 YTD, driven by:
a) cheaper financing options for customers, b) higher customer affordability, and c)
increased electrification and reliability of power across the country. LEE has a tie-up
with Bajaj Finance, under which 4% abatement is offered to Bajaj for aircons
financed by the company. LEE’s revenues have increased 50% YoY in CY16 YTD, led
by market share gains.
Dealer margins – highest in the industry
LEE offers regular 20-25% dealer margins on billing price. In CY16, it has offered
additional incentives of up to 8-10% on top of regular margins – the highest in the
industry, which has increased preference for the company’s products among
dealers. Extra discounts were offered under the Lloyd Diamond Celebration Offer
Ankur Sharma
(Ankur.VSharma@MotilalOswal.com); +91 22 3982 5449
Amit Shah
(Amit.Shah@MotilalOswal.com); +91 22 3029 5126
Motilal Oswal research is available on www.motilaloswal.com/Institutional-Equities, Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, Factset and S&P Capital.
8 August 2016
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Investors are advised to refer through important disclosures made at the last page of the Research Report.