Cover note: Interview with Fernando Novoa, General Manager of Electrolux. «The market began to recover. We are optimistic for 2025 »
Por Rodolfo Pollini
With the general manager of Electrolux arGentina we analyze how the market was During 2024, the current profile of the Compañía in the segments where it participates and the expectations for 2025, on which He clearly stated optimistic.
We have to start with 2024, so special, with a first part of a lot of scare for all and the second with some more tranquility. How did you see it?
Indeed, the year started with a strong drop in the level of activity and in general of consumption, and our industry was no stranger to that context. With the passing of the months, the downward inflation, a Controlled exchange rate and the appearance of the fees, back in May, began to reverse that fall. Although we had a first trimester of strong casualty, in the second we also had it but less strong, and what we saw was that with those already more controlled variables the market began to recover, which is optimistic for 2025, in general.
Although the different market segments are not equal, how did you measure the fall in numbers and at what level do you see recovery?
The strong designer in appliances was in the first quarter, around 50%, and if we divided per year in semesters, I would tell you that in the first one the fall was in the order of 36% and in the second, when we compare it with the second half of last year, we already saw a recovery, with a mercaDo growing around 5% or 6%, which for all 2024 would be giving us a total drop of 15% over 2023.
In that scenario, what vision do you have of what companies had to do to make large cost increases with sales prices and profitability compatible?
In Electrolux we work hard on the improvement of our costs. We have local production and we focus a lot on the costs of our supplies for production, the efficiency of our productive processes and models and the logistics and commercial processes and we achieve cost efficiency that will allow us to continue offering our consumers quality products with competitive prices. In this we work hard, because we need, as an industry, to be more efficient.
The year that just began is going to be a lot of competition, both at the level of suppliers and retail. How do you imagine 2025?
In Electrolux, we reaffirm our positioning in the Argentine appliance market through a business model that we call mixed, where we combine local production and global supply. As I said, at the Rosario plant we work to make the production process efficient because we understand that there will be strong competition. Today we have quality products in our plant with competitive prices and this mixed model leads us to also seek global supply, which is strengthening the supply of products for each type of consumer and with a more complete linear for this scenario that comes in Argentina. The service will be key and is one of the differentials we are working on.
Is white line products in the global market that, due to the purchasing power of the population or by consumption and use culture, do not arrive or do not agree to bring the Argentine market?
In general there are niches for everything. It depends a little of the volume, but I would tell you that the products that are marketed are aligned with the way of living of Argentine consumers and with their social dynamics. If we compare, the linear that we see in Argentina is very in line with what you can find in any country in Latin America.
Beyond the products, how do you see us in relation to the other markets in the region?
The region market at some point is a bit heterogeneous. You find countries with more protection, more production or more open. I think we are going to a more open market in which there will be a greater offer of products and brands. That is the scenario we are seeing.
To the extent that the Argentine consumer always wants to have better products. I imagine that this greater variety of supply and technology can also bring modifications to demand behavior.
Absolutely. The incorporation of technology into products is something that is coming and that will modify the map you comment a bit. In this sense I cannot fail to comment that in Electrolux we have products that use artificial intelligence. In dryrops and lavasecarropas we have the autosense function, which measures the temperature and humidity of the clothing to dry it with greater precision and efficiency in terms of energy consumption. We also have this technology applied in ice cream makers, to automatically control the temperature of the different spaces and prolong the life of food in up to 30% more time. This technology will continue to impose over the months.
There is also an advance of inverter technology, more valued now by energy costs. How do you see your penetration?
Having these electricity rates is something that the consumer begins to have in mind. I think the penetration is being progressive and there will be a conversion. It is a gradual change, but the consumer thinks more and more products as their efficiency in energy consumption.
How do you see the participation of the NO Frost category, technology that to the extent that it was being understood by the user, the differential or the barrier was staying in the price?
The historical relationship within refrigeration was 70% cyclic ice creamboards and 30% not Frost, and when you compared with other countries, I would tell you that it was reverse. There was an issue in the price, as you comment, but the difference was shrinking in recent times and I think not Frost will be one of the categories that will gain greater relevance because it will improve its offer And for next year that relationship with cyclic ice creamboards could be in a 60/40.
What market participation do with products, both of glasses and electrolux?
With the two brands we are leaders in refrigeration, especially with a glaf, that we reach a 25% participation and specifically in Frieza we are leaders, with 50% of the market. In laundering with higher load we have a 35% participation and in kitchens, in the Premium segment and with the electrolux brand, we have a participation greater than 50% with the best market cuisine in terms of design and functionality.
What is Freezer's participation within the general cooling category?
He suffered a little, as the category in general suffered, but in the second half of 2024 he developed well.
Let's talk a little about small products, a low Tiket segment but at the same time greater accessibility for consumers.
It is indeed a lower Tiket category, which did not have the fall that the White Line had and was performing better. With electrolux we have a linear of small cooking appliances and household care and we see that it is a category that will have an over supply of products and brands. It is already beginning to happen and we understand that it will be part of the 2025 stage, at least at the beginning. I think there will be a purification. We have interesting releases scheduled for next year.
Can we know more about these launches scheduled for 2025?
I can tell you that we are going to be throwing glasses and electrolux almost every month. What I can anticipate is that functionality, sustainability and design will be present to strengthen the offer that we are going to give to the consumer.
News within the current lines or something different?
In principle, within the lines we are working, but there may also be surprises.
You mentioned sustainability, another element that becomes a factor of competitiveness and differentiation. How do you see business and electrolux in this move that has a lot of weight, especially in the field of production?
La sustentabilidad ya está instalada y forma parte de nuestro día a día. Para Electrolux, la sustentabilidad es uno de los pilares. La compañía tiene metas para convertirse en una empresa climáticamente neutral y 100% sustentable y alcanzar cero emisiones tanto en las plantas como en nuestras oficinas. Este compromiso se enmarca en un programa global que se llama Better Living, una iniciativa que estableció 100 metas a realizarse hasta 2030 con el propósito de crear mejores condiciones de vida y sostenibilidad en todo el mundo. Bajo este programa se trabaja la eficiencia energética, la eliminación del uso de combustibles fósiles por energías renovables. Un ejemplo de energía renovable es la incorporación de paneles solares en la planta. Otras acciones tienen que ver con el reciclado de más del 50% de los materiales plásticos y trabajamos fuertemente en el reciclaje de más del 96% de los residuos.
Es un factor competitivo no solo por la importancia que cobra hoy ante la sociedad la responsabilidad social empresaria, sino también por costos.
Absolutamente. Creo que la sustentabilidad tiene varias aristas. Hoy la demanda el mundo y las empresas que tengan en su ADN el trabajar sobre la sustentabilidad van a tener un diferencial. Las nuevas generaciones lo demandan y ya empieza a verse que la sustentabilidad no necesariamente implica un mayor costo, en algunos casos genera un ahorro y vino para quedarse.
Una de las transformaciones que se produjeron durante la pandemia ocurrió en los canales, en la expansión, inesperada obviamente, de la compra online. ¿Cómo ves a la omnicanalidad no solo en sí misma, como realidad instalada, sino en la participación de cada una de las modalidades e inclusive la convivencia de la tienda física con el online, a veces interviniendo las dos en una misma acción de compra?
Creo que hay una convivencia, se está buscando esa omnicanalidad y esto va a seguir evolucionando. En el caso de Electrolux comercializamos nuestros productos a través de la tienda online y de nuestros retailers, que representan un eslabón fundamental. Este modelo nos permite llegar a cada rincón del país entendiendo las necesidades de cada uno de los consumidores. Actualmente el canal online representa un 15% de nuestra venta.
Tampoco es tan universal la compra online para todo. Si compro un televisor de 70 pulgadas sé lo que voy a recibir, pero el consumidor necesita abrir la puerta de la heladera para verla por adentro, o la tapa del horno de la cocina. Y eso lo hace en la tienda física.
El consumidor argentino está muy acostumbrado a tocar el producto y la tienda física, como tal, sirve como showroom y va a seguir existiendo. La compra final se hará después en cualquiera de los canales, pero la relación física del consumidor con el producto es necesaria y en la línea blanca más, porque son productos de tiket alto.
Volvamos a las expectativas sobre 2025. ¿Creés que la recuperación será de manera pareja en todos los segmentos o algunos que vieron más postergada la demanda podrán tener una participación mayor?
Creo que sí. La recuperación arrancó en el segundo semestre de este año, va a continuar en 2025 y posiblemente refrigeración crezca por encima del promedio de la línea blanca. Este crecimiento lo entendemos porque en el primer trimestre de 2024, que es una temporada alta de refrigeración, hubo una caída de la actividad muy fuerte.
Tuvimos un 2023 en el que el canal se abastecía de lo que había, lo que se llamó compra especulativa y no era otra cosa que poner los pesos en valor de divisa a través de los productos. Desde el año pasado todo indica que el comerciante compra lo que proyecta vender, lo que habla de una relación comercial más saludable.
Sí, considero que la relación comercial se ha vuelto más saludable, ya que esta dinámica permite una mejor planificación y evita el sobrestockeo, beneficiando a ambas partes. Desde nuestro lado, ponemos un gran énfasis en estar cerca de nuestros clientes, entendiendo sus necesidades y acompañándolos en la proyección de sus ventas. Esta cercanía nos permite construir relaciones de confianza y asegurar que trabajemos juntos de manera más eficiente y sostenible en el tiempo.
Como cierre, y de lleno en 2025, en general manifestaste una visión optimista
Sí, somos optimistas sobre lo que viene, Estamos muy contentos con lo que tanto Electrolux como Gafa ofrecen y van a seguir ofreciendo al mercado y los lanzamientos que tenemos previstos. El 2025 va a ser un buen año.
Latest news
Outstanding sector
