'Styler' Doing Well in Japan... LG Electronics Considering Washing Machine Sales After 12 Years

LG Electronics is reported by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) on the 20th to be set to fully resume washing machine sales in Japan for the first time in 12 years as early as this year.

LG Electronics judged that there is demand in Japan for products equipped with drying functions through trial sales of high-end models priced around 500,000 yen (4.66 million KRW) per unit from 2020 to 2022.

An LG Electronics official stated, "Since Stylers are very popular locally, we are reviewing in various ways whether washing machines and dryers will also be accepted." He added, "This is not a decision that can be made independently; we need to explore possibilities through local market research and consult with distributors."

In the future, LG Electronics plans to consider entering the large refrigerator market in Japan as well.

Currently, LG Electronics holds about a 10% market share in the Japanese TV market, but has not achieved significant results in markets such as washing machines and refrigerators.

The Nikkei reported, "Chinese company Hisense is also launching a drum washer-dryer in Japan for the first time this spring, and Korean and Chinese companies are consecutively introducing products into the high-end white goods market in Japan."