Description

Demand for gas heating boilers in Russia in 2007-2011 increased and amounted to 852 thousand units in 2011. A decrease in demand by 32% was recorded only in 2009, due to the crisis situation in the country's economy. During the economic crisis, most of the major construction projects were suspended, part of which was the installation of gas boiler equipment at the sites. Nevertheless, experts recognize the market for gas heating equipment in Russia as quite promising. According to BusinesStat forecasts, in 2012-2016 the demand for gas heating boilers will grow and in 2016 it will reach 1099 thousand units.

The structure of demand for gas heating boilers is dominated by sales in the domestic market. The volume of domestic sales of gas heating boilers from 2007 to 2011 increased and amounted to 827 thousand units in 2011. A decrease in sales of gas heating boilers was observed only during the economic crisis in 2009 by 33% compared to 2008.

The volume of export deliveries of gas heating boilers from Russia is significantly inferior to the volume of import deliveries to the country. However, in 2007-2011, exports grew and in 2011 reached 24.1 thousand units. Kazakhstan became the main export destination for boilers from Russia.

The supply of gas heating boilers in 2007-2011 also increased and in 2011 amounted to 1034 units. In a five-year period, the dynamics of supply repeated the dynamics of demand: a reduction in supply was noted in 2009 by 27%.

The production of gas heating boilers in Russia in 2007-2011 decreased and in 2011 amounted to 209 thousand units. The indicator showed negative dynamics until 2010 inclusive. Production growth was recorded only in 2011 by 25%.

The maximum contribution to the supply structure of gas heating boilers is made by imports. The volume of imports into the country from 2007 to 2011 increased by 45%. The main importers were Italy and Germany.

"Analysis of the gas heating boiler market in Russia in 2007-2011, forecast for 2012-2016" includes the most important data necessary for understanding the current market conditions and assessing the prospects for its development:

• Economic situation in Russia
• Production and producer prices
• Sales and prices of gas heating boilers
• Balance of demand, supply, stocks of gas heating boilers
• Number of consumers and consumption of gas heating boilers
• Export and import of gas heating boilers
• Ratings of enterprises by production volume and revenue from sales of products

The review separately presents data on the leading manufacturers of gas heating boilers: Lemax, Zhukovsky Engineering Plant, Zvezda - Strela, Conord, Gaz-Standard, Gazteploservis, Kirov Plant, Novosergievsky Mechanical Plant, Saratov Power Engineering Plant, Borisoglebsk Boiler and Mechanical Plant, Installation and Repair Department, Izhevsk Boiler Plant, Belogorye, Kambarsky Gas Plant equipment, Ziosab-Don, Tyumen-Diesel, Teploenergo, Sibtenzopribor, Soyuz, Teploservice, etc.

BusinesStat prepares an overview of the global market for gas heating boilers, as well as reviews of the markets of the CIS, the EU and individual countries of the world. In the review of the Russian market, information is detailed by regions of the country.

In preparing the review, official statistics were used:

• Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation
• Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation
• Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation
• Federal Tax Service of the Russian Federation
• Eurasian Customs Union
• world Trade organisation
• Association of Trading Companies and Manufacturers of Electrical Household and Computer Equipment RATEK

Along with official statistics, the review presents the results of BusinesStat's own research:

• Survey of consumers of large household appliances
• Audit of the retail trade of large household appliances
• Survey of experts of the market of large household appliances

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Content

THE STATE OF THE RUSSIAN ECONOMY

• Basic parameters of the Russian economy
• Results of Russia's entry into the Customs Union
• The results of Russia's accession to the WTO
• Prospects for the Russian economy

CLASSIFICATION OF GAS HEATING BOILERS

DEMAND AND SUPPLY OF GAS HEATING BOILERS

• Sentence
• Demand
• Balance of supply and demand

OPERATION OF GAS HEATING BOILERS

• Lifetime

RANGE OF GAS HEATING BOILERS

SALES OF GAS HEATING BOILERS

• Natural sales volume
• Sales value
• Retail price
• Ratio of retail price and inflation
• The ratio of natural, value sales volume and retail price
• Number of buyers and purchase volume

PRODUCTION OF GAS HEATING BOILERS

• Manufacturers price

MANUFACTURERS OF HEATING BOILERS

• Production indicators of enterprises
• Financial indicators of enterprises

EXPORT AND IMPORT OF GAS HEATING BOILERS

• Balance of exports and imports
• Natural volume of exports
• Export value
• Export price
• Natural volume of imports
• The value of imports
• Import price

ECONOMIC INDICATORS OF THE INDUSTRY

• Financial result of the industry
• Economic efficiency of the industry
• Industry investment
• Industry workforce

ECONOMIC PROFILES OF MAJOR PRODUCERS

• Registration data of the organization
• Organization leadership
• Subsidiaries
• The main shareholders of the organization
• Volume of production by types of products
• The balance sheet of the enterprise according to Form N1
• Profit and loss statement of the enterprise in form No. 2
• The main financial indicators of the enterprise

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tables

REPORT CONTAINS 80 TABLES

Table 1. Volume of nominal and real GDP, Russia, 2007-2016 (trillion rubles)

Table 2. The volume of real GDP and the index of real physical volume of GDP, Russia, 2007-2016 (trillion rubles, %)

Table 3. Investments in fixed assets from all sources of financing, Russia, 2007-2016 (trillion rubles, %)

Table 4. Export and import volume and trade balance, Russia, 2007-2016 (billion dollars)

Table 5. Average annual dollar/ruble exchange rate, Russia, 2007-2016 (rubles per dollar, %)

Table 6. Consumer price index (inflation) and producer price index, Russia, 2007-2016 (% of the previous year)

Table 7. Population including migrants, Russia, 2007-2016 (million people)

Table 8. Really disposable income of the population, Russia, 2007-2016 (% of the previous year)

Table 9. Supply of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2007-2011 (thousand units, %)

Table 10. Forecast of the supply of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2012-2016 (thousand units,%)

Table 11. Production, imports and stocks of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2007-2011 (thousand units)

Table 12. Forecast of production, imports and stocks of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2011 (thousand units)

Table 13. Demand for gas heating boilers, Russia, 2007-2011 (thousand units)

Table 14. Forecast of demand for gas heating boilers, Russia, 2012-2016 (thousand units)

Table 15. Sales and export of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2007-2011 (thousand units)

Table 16. Forecast of sales and exports of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2012-2016 (thousand units)

Table 17. Balance of demand and supply of gas heating boilers, taking into account stock balances at the end of the year, Russia, 2007-2011 (thousand units)

Table 18. Forecast of supply and demand for gas heating boilers, taking into account stock balances at the end of the year, Russia, 2012-2016 (thousand units)

Table 19. Number of gas heating boilers in operation, Russia, 2007-2011 (thousand units; %)

Table 20. Forecast of the number of gas heating boilers in operation, Russia, 2012-2016 (thousand units; %)

Table 21. Number of gas heating boilers in operation per consumer household, Russia, 2007-2011 (pcs; %)

Table 22. Forecast of the number of gas heating boilers in operation per consumer household, Russia, 2012-2016 (pcs; %)

Table 23. Average service life of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2007-2011 (thousand units)

Table 24. Forecast of the average life of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2012-2016 (thousand units)

Table 25. Number of names of gas heating boilers by leading brands, Russia, 2011 (pcs)

Table 26. Range of prices for gas heating boilers by brand, Russia, 2011 (rub)

Table 27. The structure of the range of gas heating boilers - the main characteristics

Table 28. Sales of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2007-2011 (thousand units)

Table 29. Sales forecast for gas heating boilers, Russia, 2012-2016 (thousand units)

Table 30. Sales of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2007-2011 (million rubles, %)

Table 31. Forecast of revenue from sales of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2012-2016 (million rubles, %)

Table 32. Retail price of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2007-2011 (thousand rubles per piece)

Table 33. Forecast of the retail price of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2012-2016 (thousand rubles per unit)

Table 34. Ratio of the retail price of gas heating boilers and inflation, Russia, 2007-2011 (%)

Table 35. Forecast of the ratio of the retail price of gas heating boilers and inflation, Russia, 2012-2016 (%)

Table 36. Correlation of natural value sales volume and retail price of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2007-2011 (thousand units; thousand rubles per unit; million rubles)

Table 37. Forecast of the ratio of natural, sales value and retail price of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2012-2016 (thousand units; thousand rubles per unit; million rubles)

Table 38. Number of households purchasing gas-fired boilers, Russia, 2007-2011 (million households)

Table 39. Forecast of the number of households buying gas heating boilers, Russia, 2012-2016 (million households)

Table 40. Share of households buying gas heating boilers from all households in Russia, 2007-2011 (%)

Table 41. Forecast of the share of households buying gas heating boilers from all households in Russia, 2012-2016 (%)

Table 42. Level of purchase of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2007-2011 (pieces per year; rubles per year)

Table 43. Forecast of the level of purchase of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2012-2016 (pieces per year; rubles per year)

Table 44. Production of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2007-2011 (thousand units)

Table 45. Forecast of the production of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2012-2016 (thousand units)

Table 46. Production of gas heating boilers by regions of the Russian Federation, Russia, 2007-2011 (thousand units)

Table 47. Producer price of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2007-2011 (thousand rubles per piece)

Table 48. Price forecast for gas heating boiler manufacturers, Russia, 2012-2016 (thousand rubles per unit)

Table 53. Balance of exports and imports of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2007-2011 (thousand units)

Table 54. Forecast of the balance of exports and imports of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2012-2016 (thousand units)

Table 55. Export of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2007-2011 (thousand units)

Table 56. Export forecast for gas heating boilers, Russia, 2012-2016 (thousand units)

Table 57. Export of gas heating boilers by countries of the world, Russia, 2007-2011 (thousand units)

Table 58. Export of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2007-2011 (million dollars)

Table 59. Forecast of export of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2012-2016 (million dollars)

Table 60. Export of gas heating boilers by countries of the world, Russia, 2007-2011 (thousand dollars)

Table 61. Export price of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2007-2011 (USD per unit)

Table 62. Forecast of the export price of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2012-2016 (USD per piece)

Table 63. The price of export of gas heating boilers by countries of the world, Russia, 2007-2011 (USD per unit)

Table 64. Import of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2007-2011 (thousand units)

Table 65. Forecast of imports of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2012-2016 (thousand units)

Table 66. Import of gas heating boilers by countries of the world, Russia, 2007-2011 (thousand units)

Table 67. Import value of gas-fired boilers, Russia, 2007-2011 (million dollars)

Table 68. Forecast of value imports of gas-fired boilers, Russia, 2012-2016 (million dollars)

Table 69. Import of gas heating boilers by countries of the world, Russia, 2007-2011 (thousand dollars)

Table 70. Price of imports of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2007-2011 (USD per unit)

Table 71. Forecast of the price of imports of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2012-2016 (USD per piece)

Table 72. Price of imports of gas heating boilers, Russia, 2007-2011 (USD per piece)

Table 73. Revenue (net) from the sale of products, Russia, 2007-2011 (million rubles)

Table 74. Selling and administrative expenses, Russia, 2007-2011 (million rubles)

Table 75. Cost of production, Russia, 2007-2011 (billion rubles)

Table 76. Gross profit from the sale of products, Russia, 2007-2011 (million rubles)

Table 77. Economic efficiency of the industry, Russia, 2007-2011 (%; times; days days)

Table 78. Investments in the industry, Russia, 2007-2011 (million rubles)

Table 79. Labor resources of the industry, Russia, 2007-2011 (thousand people; million rubles; thousand rubles per year)

Table 80. Average salary in the industry, Russia, 2007-2011 (thousand rubles per year)

In recent years, sales of heating boilers have been steadily increasing, while there is no reason to reduce the popularity of this product yet. The average growth rate of sales of heating equipment is 4% annually.

According to the Aport website, boilers from Ariston, Viessmann, Baxi, Vaillant, Beretta, Junkers, Buderus, Saunier Duval, Roca, Frisquet are very popular. For example, the well-known German companies Bosch and Vaillant, as well as Junkers, occupy about 40% of the market for wall-mounted boilers in Europe.

The volume of sales of heating equipment in Russia is uneven, because some boilers are sold better, while others are worse. So, among Russian users, boilers with an atmospheric burner continue to be popular. However, recently there has been a trend of increasing demand for wall-mounted gas boilers. It is curious, but the demand for domestic models, which differ in optimal cost, is much lower, which cannot be said about similar imported devices. Experts say that the reason for this trend lies, first of all, in the number of gasified areas, the number of which is constantly growing. It is also worth noting that in recent years the number of cottage construction has increased, which implies an increase in residents with sufficient funds for construction. Consequently, savings on heating for such buyers will be clearly irrational. Of course, we should not forget that the owners of city apartments do not have a large area, so buying a wall-mounted boiler is the most profitable solution. You also have to consider the size and weight of the boiler itself. This category of heating equipment implies compactness and lightweight design. The Russian user has long appreciated the pleasant appearance of such boilers, as well as the fact that this device does not need a separate boiler room.

Wall-mounted boilers are in demand not only in Russia, but also in Europe, where they are much cheaper, while their operation is much easier. Recall that one wall-mounted boiler is able to heat an area of ​​200-300 square meters, and there is also an additional opportunity to use hot water, which, of course, is very attractive to consumers.

Prospects for the Russian market of heating boilers

Marketing research of the market showed that in the next few years, the supply of heating equipment in Russia will continue to increase by 8-9% annually, and by 2017 may be about 2.4 million. units. The increase in demand for such products will constantly stimulate the growth of supply. Now a large contribution to the supply of domestic heating boilers in the Russian market is made by imports.

Understanding the main drivers and market trends allows you to correctly allocate the company's resources, which is necessary for the formation of a long-term sales strategy and business development. Consider the dynamics of sales of gas boilers in Russia from 2008 to 2015.

The market for gas boilers grew steadily until 2014, with the exception of short-term recessions in 2009-2013. If the decline in 2009 was the result of the global financial crisis, then the fall in 2013 was the result of political and financial problems directly in Russia, whose economy was on the verge of recession.

Positive indicators in 2014 are not associated with positive processes; on the contrary, the sharp weakening of the Russian ruble, caused by the rapid decline in world oil prices, led to inflation. The population, mindful of past crises, got rid of the depreciating national currency and massively bought everything that might be needed in the foreseeable future, including boilers. It was this fact that influenced the 2015 data, when we saw a sharp drop, especially compared to the breakthrough year (Fig. 1).

According to the agency "TOP-Marketing"; regarding the supply of boilers, according to the results of nine months of 2016, we see a decrease of 15% compared to 2015. This suggests that the current decline in sales is of a protracted nature and can be seen as a trend, which differs significantly from the situation in 2009. To understand the reasons for what is happening, consider the factors that have a key impact on the gas equipment market.

The first is construction. Until mid-2014, this industry was on the rise. For example, in 2014, 84.2 million m2 of housing was put into operation, which amounted to 118.2% by 2013. In 2015, 83.8 million m2 were already commissioned, which is only 99.5%, and for individual developers - only 94.6 % by 2014. According to the forecasts of specialists from the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Public Utilities of the Russian Federation, in 2016 only 76 million m2 of housing will be put into operation in Russia.

Secondly, it is gasification of regions. As a result of the implementation of the gasification program for the regions of the Russian Federation from 2005 to 2015, the average level of gasification in Russia increased from 53.3% to 66.2%, including in cities from 60% to 70.4%, in rural areas - from 34.8% to 56.1%.

In the short term, this growth factor should not be overestimated, since PJSC Gazprom in 2016 selectively “cut” the volume of investments, taking into account the fulfillment by the constituent entities of the Russian Federation of their obligations.

Many experts associate the prospects for the gas boiler market in Russia with the program announced at the state level to transfer from central heating to individual heating. But, as practice has shown, the implementation of the plans of the country's leadership to introduce energy-efficient technologies turned out to be an occupation associated with significant difficulties. Most investors are concerned not with how to launch new projects, but with how to complete existing ones with minimal losses.

This happens for a number of reasons, including high inflation, low solvency of the population, unstable economic situation, gaps in the legislative framework.

In my opinion, the market for replacing obsolete equipment will develop most actively in the near future. Of course, with a decrease in income and loss of savings, many consumers will try to maximize the performance of boilers through repairs, but the cost of spare parts and services will not allow them to do this for a relatively long time.

How to estimate the size of the replacement market? The simplest technique is based on the ratio of average boiler life and sales history. Given the quality of the product, installation and operating conditions, the service life of each individual unit can be above and below the average. According to experts, on average, a wall-mounted gas boiler in a household is used for approximately 8-10 years, a cast-iron floor boiler for 20 years, and a steel floor boiler (produced in the post-Soviet era) for up to 10 years. Sales of floor gas boilers are not developing as dynamically as wall-mounted ones. Taking into account sales in 2006 (620 thousand units) and 2015 (480 thousand units), it can be argued that almost all floor-standing boilers are bought instead of old ones. Most often, floor-standing boilers are part of gravity heating systems, so when replacing a floor-standing boiler with a wall-mounted one, it is necessary to change the entire system.

Sales of wall-mounted gas boilers in 2005 amounted to 124 thousand units. Given that the average life of their service is 10 years, in 2015 the replacement market was 21%, in 2016 it is 35%. The dynamics of the sales development of wall-mounted gas boilers over the past 10 years shows that the replacement market share will grow at an accelerated pace (Fig. 2). If there are no sharp positive changes, then the share of the replacement segment in the market will be more than 50% in the next two years.

In addition to economic factors, the gas equipment market is also significantly affected by the changes taking place in society as a whole, which radically change people's habits. The information received on the Internet is becoming increasingly important for a person. The number of Internet users in Russia in 2015 increased by 9.2% to 80.5 million people, while 66.5 million people went online every day. In 2017, the proportion of users over the age of 18 using the Internet daily will grow to 70% (under the optimistic scenario - 81%), and by the end of 2020 - 76 % (with an optimistic scenario - 85%).

According to e-commerce market research conducted in February 2016 by PayPal and Data Insight, 20% of purchases of home and garden goods are made in online stores (Fig. 3). This segment also includes household boilers. The Internet is not only a powerful distribution channel, but also the main promotion tool. Even those who still prefer to buy goods offline receive information about them on the Web in advance - 23% of those who bought goods in a store made their choice in advance, having learned from forums, social networks, manufacturers' websites, watching videos, etc.

Also, one of the significant trends should be called the growth of consumer independence when choosing a gas boiler. This is especially indicative in the case of equipment replacement, when there is no need to change the system and contact the designers, but you just need to choose a modern boiler and chimney in the kit. According to a focus group study conducted by Vailant Group Rus LLC together with Emerald Advertising in 2013, homeowners who already operate gas boilers are distrustful of installers and plan to make their own choice when replacing equipment. Thanks to the informatization of society, the consumer is increasingly collecting information on the Internet and buying a boiler himself, only after that turning to an installation specialist.

The decline in the income of the population leads to a shift in the market to the “economy” segment, which in turn is the cause of several trends. Firstly, the supply chain of products from the manufacturer to the consumer is being reduced. The difference between the cost of the boiler and the competitive retail price is often not large enough to cover the costs and ensure a margin for each participant. As a result, the boundaries of the geography of sales for many players are becoming more and more conditional.

Secondly, as a result of fierce competition and market compaction, players are forced to sacrifice profits, which are already declining from year to year. It happens that the seller does not earn anything on the sale of the boiler, compensating for the lost profit due to accessories.

Thirdly, manufacturers replenish their product lines with budget models, the price of which is 15-20 % lower than those that companies released to the market before. Over the past two years, most European manufacturers have brought new budget models of boilers to the market.

Summarizing, I would still like to dwell on the fact that after any sharp decline, an increase most often follows. The situation in the country is difficult, but at the end of 2016, the international agency Standard & Poor's raised the outlook for Russia's sovereign ratings to "stable" - according to the agency, GDP growth could reach more than 1.5% in the next two years. Therefore, it is not worth saying that the gas equipment sales market will stagnate for a long time. There are growth drivers in our segment – ​​firstly, the replacement market, and secondly, the transfer of the population from central heating to individual heating. Of the positive trends, I would single out "digitalization", which allows you to quickly convey information about products to the consumer, gives him the opportunity to make an informed choice. Competition will intensify, but it will spur players to optimize business processes and reduce costs, develop new approaches to sales and promotion. We live and work in a difficult, but very interesting time, which opens up great prospects for creativity, courage and determination.

produce heat, pipes deliver it to the consumer - radiators. There are also pumps, gate valves, expansion tanks and other network equipment, but these three segments are fundamentally important in heating systems. If we measure these markets in money terms, then their volume in final retail prices is very similar. According to the results of 2015, each of the three segments of the heating market is within the limits of 1 billion dollars.

Anton Totmakov, Deputy Director of Litvinchuk Marketing

Overview of the market for water heating systems from Litvinchuk Marketing.

As for the dynamics of the markets, in 2015, when measured quantitatively in all three segments, it turned out to be negative. In 2015, compared to 2014, the boiler market fell by 19%, the pipe and radiator market sank by 16%. "Made in Russia" The share of Russian products is very different in all three segments.

Within the markets for radiators, pipes and boilers, there are segments with a high share of domestic products. For example, in the market of pressure pipes, the segment of polypropylene pipes for more than 50% consists of products manufactured in Russia.

In the boiler equipment segment, industrial boilers account for more than 50% of the Russian assembly. In heating radiators, the segment of convectors is the most imported.

Market trends

At the end of 2015, the market sank by 16% in quantity, and by 23% in money terms (calculated in EUR). The reason for the disproportion is the significant growth of the supereconomy segment against the backdrop of a sharp drop in the share of European radiators. At the same time, the year was marked by a significant reduction in the trade margin at all levels of the distribution system - from manufacturers to end sellers.

If we consider steel panel radiators, then last year factory prices for them decreased, although this has nothing to do with the weakening of the ruble - world steel prices have been gradually decreasing over the past three years. As for segments with high added value (for example, steel tubular and design radiators, expensive convectors), their value is much more influenced by exchange rates against the ruble than the price of metal. For most positions, rates are fixed at the time of conclusion of contracts.

The psychology of consumer behavior has changed a lot since the 2009 crisis. Now the choice of the buyer is increasingly choosing an inexpensive product, the economy segment is actively growing. At the same time, premium consumption is quite stable, and if it changes, then at a much slower pace.

The rapid growth of the segment of "lightweight" aluminum radiators is one of the proofs of this assumption. Already in 2014, the main segments of the market stopped growing and there was a negative trend; in 2015, this trend continued to develop. There are several reasons for this state of affairs.

Firstly, the general state of the Russian economy and a significant drop in the purchasing power of the population, which began at the end of 2014, affected. Even the record rates of housing commissioning did not help (81.3 million sq. m of living space in 2014 and 81.5 in 2015, against 70.5 million sq. m in 2013).

Secondly, sales in the secondary market show all signs of saturation. Sales of replacement radiators, which peaked in 2012-2013 (up to 70% of all sales), began to decline already in 2014. In 2015, there was an expected reduction in this segment. The fact is that people with high and average incomes, for the most part, have long since changed outdated and unaesthetic devices to more modern ones. And for those who received (and receive) low incomes, in 2015 there was no time to replace radiators.

According to our estimates, over the past 10 years, from 58 to 65% of all heating appliances have been replaced, that is, their fleet is very fresh. Therefore, the number of replacements should have been sharply reduced in the coming years, even without the participation of the crisis. We can say that the crisis will make this process smoother and less painful. At the same time, the fall will affect, first of all, the market of aluminum and bimetallic radiators, which were mainly used to replace old cast-iron "batteries" and convectors.

It can be predicted that in 2015-2017 the replacement market will decrease by 40-50%, and the sales market for new construction - by 20-25%. Moreover, in 2016 the market for radiators is expected to decline by 25%. At the same time, the market for panel-type appliances (90% of which go to new buildings) is unlikely to decline by more than 10-15%, and expensive design radiators that go to luxury housing will hardly suffer.

The volume of the PGO market has a pronounced seasonality. The market capacity doubles, increasing at the peak of seasonal demand (August - October) to 170-175 million rubles per month, and falling in the spring (March-April) to 85-90 million rubles per month. At the same time, there is a trend towards constant growth; over the past years, the market has been growing by about 13-18% per year. A characteristic feature of the market is a small number of large end-users. The volume of an average application ("average check") is 50-60 thousand rubles, which corresponds to 1500-1700 transactions per month in April-May and 2800-3400 in September-October. It should be noted a sharp decrease in the size of the average application in February-March to 25-30 thousand rubles. This is due to the fact that equipment for new construction, as a rule, is not purchased during this period. Only individual units of equipment are purchased for the reconstruction (replacement) of the existing one.

PGO is heterogeneous: the market consists of several practically non-competing segments. Competition occurs within these segments among substitute goods (substitutes) produced by different manufacturers. On average (there are differences between segments), the product reaches the final buyer through a chain of 2 intermediaries. About 18-20% of all manufactured equipment is sold directly from factories to end consumers without intermediaries. This allows us to conclude that trading organizations are of great importance for the market, since it is they who carry out the bulk of sales transactions. It should be noted that we are talking about average data, some manufacturers have a different situation.

For example, the sales system of the Slava i Nadezhda-Gas plant, which produces GRPS*, is aimed at establishing direct contacts with end users, bypassing intermediaries. The advertising campaign is aimed at creating a positive image of the company in the business community, strengthening brand awareness, popularizing manufactured products among consumers. At present, the sales volume of SIN-Gas among competitors producing GRPSH is small - about 1%. However, due to the fact that the plant takes on the production of any, even the most non-standard, orders, it is likely that its market share will increase.

Intermediaries buy 90 to 100% of their products from the Center for Innovative Technologies, which produces gas pollution control systems. This is due to the ongoing marketing policy, as well as the low awareness of the manufacturer's name to end users. Basically, the manufactured products are advertised - the system for automatic control of gas contamination SAKZ. Since competitors do not produce products with the same name, all orders through one or another chain of intermediaries are placed directly with the manufacturer. There is a danger here: if any competitor appears using this name for their product, the company's share of the security systems market (currently about 25%) will be instantly “diluted”. As practice shows, the current legislation is not able to effectively regulate issues of copyright and related rights, which makes it impossible (or very difficult) to defend one's legitimate interests in the event of such situations.

Plant "Signal" (Engels) started serial production of GRPSh in autumn 2002. Until that time, "Signal" produced only regulators, and GRPSH produced "Radon". However, Signal sold them under its own brand for quite a long time. The vast majority of consumers did not even know that GRPSh was produced by another plant. When "Signal" opened its own production, it began to produce the same GRPSh under the same brand name. After Signal launched the production of GRPSh in a series, he dragged Radon into a price war that lasted from November 2002 to February 2003. All these actions helped Signal change the balance of power among manufacturers in a short time and capture about 10% of the GRPSh market. Today, the GRPSh produced by Radon and Signal are the most popular on the market, and their price is the most acceptable for the consumer.

Often consumers do not have the opportunity to benefit from such competition. The situation with the "Center for Innovative Technologies", described above, is just one of those when competition does not reach the consumer. It is almost finished already at the design stage: the product that the designer has included in the project has a very strong advantage over substitutes. Often, the person responsible for the picking is not even aware of the existence of substitute products with a different name. In a factory that produces a product, in very rare cases, they can also provide information of this kind. There are two reasons for that. The first is banal: thus indirect advertising of a competitor will be made with redirection of the customer, which no self-respecting manufacturer can allow. The second reason is not so simple. According to a marketing study conducted by the independent research center "Miromark", public opinion puts the technical training of personnel at PGO manufacturing plants significantly higher than the training of personnel of trading organizations. In practice, the training of managers at factories and dealers is approximately the same, and the literacy of ordinary engineers, as the study showed, directly depends on the salary they receive. But the study revealed an important detail: all workers who are tested for technical literacy can only show it in relation to the equipment with which they constantly deal. And here the lack of a broad outlook among manufacturers affects. Since factory workers typically only encounter the products of their own plant in the course of their usual duties, they often simply do not know anything about the products manufactured by competitors. An interesting thing turned out: only 20% of PGO manufacturers are interested in the developments of competitors! If in European countries the program of monitoring competitors (industrial espionage) is the most important part of the marketing activities of enterprises, then the absence of fierce competition in Russia gives manufacturers the opportunity not to engage in this activity at all. This looks especially strange in a segment where competition is present and takes quite tough forms. We are talking about the production of GRPSh.

Although GRPSh is currently produced in Russia by a large number of manufacturers, there are not so many serious players in this market. There are the following approaches to the production of GRPSh: vertical production - when the plant completely manufactures all equipment and all fittings that are part of the product, and assembly production - when equipment and fittings are purchased from other manufacturers. Combined production - when part of the equipment is produced independently, part is purchased on the side - is not currently practiced. To date, a vertical approach to the production of GRPSh has been implemented at the Signal, Gazapparat and Gazprommash plants. It is also used by the Saratov enterprise Ex-Forma, producing small batches of advanced cabinet units UGRSH-50 with a direct-flow RDP regulator.

The vertical approach to production has a significant advantage: independence from subcontractors. All other Russian manufacturers practice assembly production, the main advantage of which is the ability to focus on one operation: the installation of process equipment in a cabinet. The undoubted leader of the assembly production is Radon, Engels. All other manufacturers either work in local markets, or the volume of their products does not have a significant impact on the Russian market. However, within the local market, the positions of such a regional manufacturer can be very strong (Gazkomplekt, Reutov, Kambarsky Gas Equipment Plant, etc.).

The graphs show the prices prevailing in April 2003 for the most popular GRPSh model - with the RDNK 400-01 regulator or an analogue. Several remarks should be made immediately on the graphs given.

Saratov, of course, should be recognized as a recognized center for the production of industrial gas equipment. In Saratov and Engels (satellite city), according to various estimates, from 67 to 75% of all equipment produced in the country is produced. The average price of GRPSH 400-01 is from 17 to 18 thousand rubles. The high price of the GRPSH of the Gazprommash plant is due to the fact that it works mainly on regional markets, in particular, all Tyumen companies (Angor, Gazstroyinter and Mezhregiongazstroy) offer cabinets manufactured by Gazprommash. This cabinet is produced both with a standard RDNK-400 regulator manufactured by Signal, and with a regulator manufactured by Gazprommash RDNK 50/400, which has a slightly lower throughput. The relatively low price of GRPSh, made at the plant "Gazooborudovaniye", Kazan, is due to the low popularity of this manufacturer and the lower cost of materials used by the plant for production. Despite this, the price / quality ratios of these products are quite acceptable, as evidenced by the steady growth in sales volumes. The trading organizations of Kazan, shown on the charts (“Komtekhenergo”, “Tatgazselkomplekt”), offer the products of this plant. All trading enterprises in Saratov, the South of Russia (Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, Stavropol) and Ufa mainly offer products manufactured by Radon-Signal. Their price depends on the discounts received at the factory, transportation costs and the appetites of the company's management. Competition can sometimes lead to significant savings opportunities for the consumer, as we see in the case of Krasnodar, where the price of Kubankraygazservis is 40% higher than that of Tsentrgazservis (7,000 rubles).

The question arises: why within the same city there is such a spread in prices? The answer to it is not as obvious as it seems. There is no doubt that the lack of consumer awareness plays a big role. But the main reason is different. At present, neither in Krasnodar nor in Russia there is yet a civilized market for PGO - it is only being created. Competition in a number of market segments is weak or completely absent. It is competition that forces manufacturers to produce cheaper, more convenient to maintain, better equipment, which ultimately leads to a decrease in accidents. Normally working suppliers are few, mainly manufacturers. At the same time, most of the existing manufacturers are focused on production, and not on working with consumers. A good supplier should be multi-vendor, that is, support and offer equipment from different manufacturers on the market. It should be a trading company - manufacturing plants do not sell competitors' products. Already today, large trading companies, as a rule, offer consumers higher quality services than manufacturers. We are glad that, together with our parent company, Gaz-Service, Saratov (trademark Gazovik), we are taking steps towards building a civilized market for industrial gas equipment in Russia.

* Gas ​​control points (installations) is a complex of technological equipment and devices designed to lower the inlet gas pressure to a predetermined level and maintain it constant at the outlet. Depending on the placement of the equipment, gas control points are divided into several types: GRPSH (cabinet gas control point) - the equipment is located in a metal cabinet; GRU (gas control unit) - the equipment is mounted on a metal frame; PGB (block gas control point) - the equipment is installed in one or several container-type buildings. For convenience, all gas control points (installations) described above are referred to in this article as GRPSH. However, it should be borne in mind that, as a rule, almost all manufacturers produce both GRPSh, GRU, and PGB with the same technological equipment.