Car dealers offer gold, discounts as sales dip
KATHMANDU, DEC 05 -
Domestic car dealers have launched various promotional campaign s to push sales in the winter season when business is usually slow. Many potential buyers in Nepal like to wait for the autumn festive season when offers and discounts fly thick and fast.
Distributors of brands like Ford, Hyundai, Fiat, Skoda and Toyota are offering customers huge cash discounts and free accessories, insurance and servicing. Traders said car sales were relatively slower in December compared to other months, and that launching attractive schemes had become a common way to drive sales.
Ford has launched a promotional campaign named Aayo Dashain. Its slogan says, “You don’t need to wait for festivities to enjoy the best of offers.” Under the scheme, the company offers assured gifts like 2 kg of gold, Dell Inspiron 3437 i5 laptop, Samsung Galaxy S5 and Samsung 32-inch LED TV along with cash discounts and other accessories.
Kishor Maharjan, senior sales executive of GO Automobiles, the authorised distributor of Ford in Nepal, said that the company expected to see increased sales during this season after the massive growth during the festivals. Similarly, Laxmi Intercontinental, authorized distributor of Hyundai in Nepal, is offering discounts ranging from Rs 112,500 to Rs 627,000 on all its models. “After big festivals like Dashain and Tihar, the market becomes less active, so we re-energize the market by introducing huge discounts,” said Rupesh Sharma Bhatta, assistant general manager.
Life Automobiles, the authorised distributor of Fiat in Nepal, has launched a plan that offers free maintenance, spare parts and insurance for three years. The company will even pay the road tax during the offer period. Customers can buy a new Punto Evo car by paying a monthly instalment of Rs 29,000. Similarly, Skoda distributor MAW Enterprises offers an instalment plan under which buyers of its new model of Rapid pay Rs 29,999 monthly.
Toyota is not offering any discounts or prizes, but it has lowered the insurance rate to 7.5 percent for buyers of its vehicles. “This interest rate is the lowest for customers,” said Sandhya Shrestha, marketing officer of United Traders Syndicate, the distributor of Toyota vehicles in Nepal.
Likewise, Sipradi Trading, the authorised distributor of Tata in Nepal, has planned to launch its promotional campaign to boost sales. “December is a slow month for us. Sales drop from the usual 150-200 units to 100 units in December, that is why we are unveiling the scheme to maintain sales levels,” said Pravin Khatiwada, head of the passenger vehicles business unit at Sipradi.
Although the scheme has not been finalized, Khatiwada said the company would offer cash discounts ranging from Rs 100,000 to Rs 300,000 on purchase of its vehicles.
Source: The Kathmandu Post
