LG Electronics has announced plans to expand its footprint in East Africa by opening and refurbishing 20 new shops in Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Sudan. This expansion is in response to growing demand for home appliances, entertainment and air conditioning solutions in the region.
The company is also keen on the growing market for wearables, driven by lifestyle changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to LG Electronics East Africa Managing Director, Sa Nyoung Kim, the planned shops across the region will be high-sales stores designed to enhance customer experience for the new technologies and products. These products include OLED TV, InstaView refrigerator, TWINWash washing machine, Neochef microwave and Vivace AI-powered washing machines.
“Over the last few years, we have been expanding our physical presence in the East Africa region. We plan to take this further by growing our premium category and providing the kind of experience our customers desire, be they individuals or businesses seeking first class technology with the right support,” said Kim.
Recently, LG launched a second store at in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and is currently rolling out a number of premium products in East Africa with the latest core technology featuring intelligent applications.
These help households conserve energy, water and are environmentally-friendly and easily usable even by physically impaired persons, thus promoting diversity and inclusion, key Sustainable Development Goals. With consumers spending most of their time indoors, music, film and gaming subscriptions have surged leading to strong sales of home appliances.
According to Kim, sales of wearables have climbed as consumers engage in indoor activities like exercise to remain healthy while working at home. The LG PuriCare wearable air purifier signals the latest push by the company into the portable protection category.
In 2020, LG launched e-showrooms in Kenya in a bid to increase reach to tech-savvy consumers shopping for electronic appliances and devices online.