LG Electronics has released premium air purifiers and set up a lineup for its air solution field. It has secured all technologies and products that are related to air such as air purifying and circulating technologies followed by air conditioning, heating, humidification, and dehumidification. LG Electronics is going to increase number of countries where it is going to carry out its air solution business from 15 this year to 30 in 2018.
LG Electronics held a presentation for ‘PuriCare 360-degree air purifier’ at LG Twin Tower on the 17th and announced such plans. President Cho Sung-jin of LG Electronics H&A (Home Appliance and Air Solution) Business Headquarters and President Choi Sang-kyu of Korea Business Headquarters attended this presentation.
This new product has the widest area of purification out of all LG’s air purifiers with 91m2. LG Electronics has built this product to respond to demands from customers who want large air purifiers as number of open-type indoor structures where boundaries between living room and kitchen are eliminated is increasing. This product is produced in a cylindrical form and has a 360-degree inlet and a 360-degree outlet at the top and the middle respectively. It quickly purifies indoor air wherever it is placed.
PuriCare 360-degree air purifier also has functions that differentiate itself from current air purifiers. LG Electronics equipped ‘Clean Booster’, which has air circulator function, at the top outlet of this product and it enables PuriCare to send purified air up to 9 meters. Also it is designed to send clean air in space lower than 1 meter from the bottom outlet by considering space where kids move the most.
LG Electronics has also minimized amount of electricity consumption by installing invertor motor to PuriCare air purifier. Even if it is operated for about 10 hours per day, cost for electricity comes out to be about only $2.12 (2,500 KRW) per month.
This product received certification from Korea Air Cleansing Association for its performance to remove 5 harmful gases such as toluene and formaldehyde. For the first time of this industry, it received certifications from BAF (British Allergy Foundation) and KAF (Korea Allergy Foundation) for its performance to remove allergy causative agents.
LG Electronics is planning to expand its business in global markets for air purifiers with its PuriCare products. Global markets for air purifiers are worth $3.7 billion (4.35 trillion KRW) per year and are showing fast annual growth rate at 10% range.
“LG Electronics’ air purifiers are getting positive responses from South Korea, Taiwan and other countries.” said Executive Director Lee Jae-seong of LG Electronics Air Solution Business Department. “We are planning to enter 30 countries by 2018 with the U.S., China, and India where markets for air purifiers are emerging at the center.”
■Interview with President Cho Seong-jin of LG Electronics
▲Question regarding LG Electronics’ plan to increase its awareness in markets for air purifiers
“One will be able to see the difference in level of awareness by looking at markets for water purifiers. We who did not have any sense of existence in markets for water purifiers even until last year released water purifiers and have grown a lot this year. Because we did not have any differentiated air purifiers, we also lacked marketing investments for our air purifiers. By releasing differentiated products this year, we are planning to invest into marketing and increase our awareness in global markets.”
▲Question regarding functions of PuriCare air purifier
“We have received positive responses by combining water purifiers and refrigerators. We also have added functions such as air purification and humidification to air conditioners so that they can be used in all four seasons. We have added a function that will purify air to this PuriCare 360-degree air purifier product. If it is used with an air conditioner, they will provide same effect as a product with 18 pyeong even if a product with 16 pyeong is purchased. We are going to continuously combine products in the future.”
▲Question regarding how responses from IFA 2016 were regarding PuriCare 360-degree air purifier
“We did not introduce or exhibit this product but rather only showed it to our customers and their responses were better than we expected. Quality of air was clearly different even though we installed it in an office during its development stage. Because responses from our customers were positive, we are planning to launch it in South Korea, China, and the U.S. sequentially.”
Staff Reporter Park, Sora | srpark@etnews.com & Staff Reporter Kwon, Keonho | wingh1@etnews.com