As Eskom load-shedding continues to take large bites out of the economy, a leading laptop retailer has reported that battery sales have increased by 30% from January to April as end users – and companies – opt for new batteries in an endeavour to eke out more work hours during the blackouts.
According to Christopher Riley, CEO of The Notebook Company, many people are finding that their batteries are dead or not working “at optimum levels” and are opting for new batteries in an attempt to keep working while the power is down.
“People and companies are desperate as Eskom continues to cause havoc with its rolling load shedding,” says Riley. “We are actually battling to keep up with battery demand and have had to increase our stockholding.”
He says that while the increased sale of batteries has only had a “nominal effect” on total sales, overall accessory sales account for 10% of total revenue.
“The 30% increase in battery sales has led to an overall increase in our accessory sales – and this is likely to push accessory sales to more than 10% of turnover if the demand for batteries continues – which looks like a certainty for the next few months. At the current rate, accessory sales could account for as much as 15% of our turnover during the winter months,” Riley says.