Fine Dust Pollution Drives Up Sales of Air Purifiers, Clothes Dryers

A consumer at E-Mart in Seoul checks air purifiers on March 6, 2019. (image: E-Mart)

SEOUL, Mar. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — Worsening fine dust pollution has changed the sales rankings of home appliances over the past three years as more people buy air purifiers and clothes dryers, industry data showed Wednesday.

According to leading discount retailer E-Mart, sales of home appliances related to air pollution have jumped over the past three years as more people purchase appliances to help protect themselves from the bad air.

Air purifiers, which took 31st place in terms of sales in 2017, moved up to 14th place in 2018 and eighth place as of March 4.

Sales of air purifiers reached a record high in the first two months of this year when fine dust choked South Korea nationwide, E-Mart said, without specifying the figures.

Clothes drying machines, which were in 36th place in 2017, jumped to seventh place this year as more people stopped drying their clothes outside due to fear of ultra-fine dust.

Garment care appliances entered the top 10 this year as people are looking for better ways to dust off their clothes.

“Consumers who were not really interested in home appliances related to air pollution have become active buyers as they think fine dust problem is not a temporary development,” an E-Mart official said. “Some of those who already bought air purifiers are buying another one.”

(Yonhap)