Ivana Domazet

Competitive relations in the aftersales market of major appliances in Serbia

The primary goal of this paper is to deepen the knowledge and provide analysis of the basic features of the major appliances aftersales market in the Republic of Serbia. This is relatively large, and for a huge number of consumers significant market, which, according to the available knowledge, was not the subject to more detailed research until now. Therefore, through a combination of survey (desk) and secondary (field) research, a detailed overview of the scope and structure of the major appliances aftermarket was carried out. With the aim to identify potential issues and propose curative to overcome them, an analysis on the competitive relations between the main actors and the factors that predominantly affect the market relations in this segment of the aftersales market was conducted. Bearing in mind the basic characteristics of the primary market in Serbia, it can be concluded that interbrand competition on the major appliances aftermarket is intense, and that significant issues are noticed. A potential problem related to competitive relations in this market segment is reflected in the constraints of intrabrand competition (competition between distributors / servicers / spare parts resellers of the same brand). The manufacturer is in a position to impose restrictions on distributors in respect of the terms of their contracts with authorized services and spare parts dealers, obliging them to install / sell spare parts exclusively from its production. Restrictions of this kind are justified only if they provide higher quality of the after-sales service. Otherwise they represent a serious distortion of competitive market behavior, as this limits the entry of independent spare parts manufacturers and servicers, who can offer spare parts and technical and repairing services of the appropriate quality.

Financial cost-benefit analysis of investment possibilities in district heating system on wood residues

The purpose of this research is to provide feasibility analysis of a long-term sustainable development concept for district heating based on wood residues. In this paper, the experimental study has been conducted starting from the data collected by field researches in municipality of Trstenik ( town in Serbia with district heating system currently based on heavy fuel oil and lignite). Using the method of Financial Cost-Benefit Analysis, this study evaluates financial efficiency of investment in district heating plant based on wood residues and energy savings in district heating system. Findings show that such investment could be profitable from the financial point of view: Net Present Value of investment is positive, Financial Rate of Return is high (30.69%), and the pay-back period is relatively favourable (7 years). Moreover, the presented SWOT indicates that there are realistic prospects of implementation of district heating based on wood residues. However, this does not mean everything will go smoothly and easily, keeping in mind a number of challenges that each new concept of district heating contains immanently. Nevertheless, the results of this research could provide useful inputs for the decision makers when selecting appropriate models for improving performance of municipal district heating systems. 1 Institute of Economic Sciences, Belgrade, ivan.stosic@ien.bg.ac.rs 2 Institute of Economic Sciences, Belgrade 3 Institute of Economic Sciences, Belgrade 4 Institute of Economic Sciences, Belgrade 5 This paper is a part of research projects No. 179015 and III 47009 financed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia Stošić I. et al.: Financial Cost-Benefit Analysis of Investment Possibilities in District... 184 Industrija, Vol.45, No.3, 2017

Basic Characteristics of Competitive Relations in the After-Sales Market of Motor Vehicles in Serbia

The aftermarket (guarantees, services, sales and use of replacement parts and accessories) is characterized by a large number of users on the demand side, while acquisition of this type of product is treated as capital procurement (purchase of cars, trucks, buses, etc.). Capital procurement is symbolized by large expenditures, a relatively long shelf life, as well as a significant share of maintenance costs, namely servicing the products at the expense of the buyer, etc. After-sales servicing and the supply of spare parts provided by individual manufacturers are important elements when deciding on the purchase of a vehicle. However, it is difficult for consumers to foresee the cost of total purchase (the price of the primary product and the total cost of post-sales services over the period of use), since vehicles are consumed for a long period of time after the purchase (and expiration of the warranty period) which includes a large number of regular servicing and emergency repairs. Accordingly, the primary goal of this paper is to deepen the knowledge and analysis of the basic features of this market, which is significant for the budget of a large number of users, since the previous information on the topic is extremely limited. In addition, the analysis of the structure and the main actors (authorized and independent service providers) and their competitive relations is of great importance for all drivers of motor vehicles, as it can assist them in planning and budgeting not just of repairs but also the purchase of motor vehicles, and accordingly reduce the risk of poor decisions related to the purchase of primary products and selecting providers of aftersales service during the period of use of the product