Acer’s unveiling of its AcerPure line-up last year felt like a curveball to many. Seemingly out of the blue, a company that’s well known for its computer and gaming products is now selling home appliances such as air and water purifiers. During an interview session with Acer’s Pan-Asia Pacific (PAP) Operations President Andrew Hou in Germany last week, we got to learn more on why the brand has decided to expand its offerings to segments outside of its norm.
Hou clarified that AcerPure is the realisation of Acer’s ambition to be a leader in home appliances in the Asia Pacific market. Further solidifying the company’s stance are several new and upcoming products of different categories that were revealed to us via a video during the session. Amongst which are personal care devices and cooking appliances, which have yet to be released in Malaysia.
Interestingly, the video also showed a short snippet of what appears to be an AcerPure portable speaker – a product that has yet to be introduced. Answering our query about the mystery device as well as the potential introduction of other audio products under the AcerPure brand, Hou clarified that what was shown is just a concept and nothing has been finalised. He noted that the audio market is very competitive and Acer won’t be venturing into this particular segment just yet, as the company is primarily focused on its current AcerPure offerings.
Speaking of which, the PAP president also revealed that Acer has been doubling down its AcerPure brand in India by introducing larger home appliance products such as TVs, which are locally manufactured, assembled and sold exclusively there. Hou said the country is selected due to its strategic connection to suppliers, especially for TV panel components from China. He also noted that the company’s efforts help contribute to India’s economy.
When asked if Acer would consider introducing its TVs as well as other future large appliances to other markets, Hou said the company will have to conduct studies to see whether the move is viable for specific countries, with emphasis on cost, awareness and reception. He added that Acer may also consider opening local assembly lines in eligible locations to speed up production and delivery.
