Lucknow: The city is witnessing a surge in demand for cooling appliances amid soaring temperatures, with traders reporting an increase in sales of air conditioners and coolers over the past 15 days.According to retailers, AC sales have risen two to three times compared to normal days. Shops that earlier sold three to four units daily are now selling 10–15 units, while some bigger outlets are selling up to 20 ACs a day.Mohd Sufiyan, owner of an electronics shop in Vikas Nagar, said orders at his store jumped from three to four a day to nearly 10–15 daily. “From 2-3 orders on alternate days, we are now selling 20 AC units per day, said Sahaj Yadav, an electronics shop owner in Hazratganj.Traders said rising demand has also pushed up the prices of installation materials such as copper wiring, increasing the overall setup cost.“Installations of AC units are also getting delayed by nearly 48 hours,” said Shashank Arora, sales manager at an electronics store in Gomti Nagar. He added that AC installation costs have also increased from around Rs 12,000 to nearly Rs 18,000.Along with ACs, the sale of coolers and fans has also increased by 30%. “Small shop owners are opting for coolers and fans because they are more affordable. Prices have remained stable,” said Saif Sheikh, an electronics store owner in Hussainganj.Lucknow Vyapar Mandal general secretary, Pawan Manocha, said sales at bigger outlets have increased by nearly 35%, with demand expected to rise further if the heatwave persists.(Inputs from Mariyam Shakeel, Love Agarwal, Ridhima Agarwal, Amritansh Singh)
