Lebanese-Made Refrigerators, Coolers, and Gas Cookers: Can Local Production Compete with Imports?

Lebanon is widely associated with food, fashion, furniture, and artisanal manufacturing, but it also has experience producing household and commercial appliances. Refrigerators, beverage coolers, freezers, and gas cookers are among the appliances produced or developed by Lebanese companies.

Although imported brands dominate Lebanese showrooms, locally manufactured appliances can offer an attractive combination of competitive pricing, adaptation to local conditions, accessible maintenance, and faster availability of spare parts.

The Lebanese appliance-manufacturing sector

The most prominent documented Lebanese producer in this field is Lematic S.A.L., the company behind Concord Home Appliances.

Founded in the 1960s and headquartered in Beirut, Lematic began as a specialist refrigerator manufacturer before expanding into other home and commercial appliances. Lebanon’s industrial directory identifies its factory in Haret El-Naameh, Chouf, and lists its activity as the manufacture of household electrical appliances. Lematic’s company profile and the Lebanese industrial directory provide further company information.

Its product portfolio includes:

• Domestic refrigerators and freezers
• Bottle and beverage coolers
• Commercial display coolers
• Gas cookers in several sizes
• Built-in ovens, hobs, and cooker hoods
• Other household appliances

Concord says its refrigeration business serves markets across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia. Its refrigerator, freezer, and bottle-cooler production therefore represents more than a small domestic assembly operation. Concord’s company profile describes an annual sales network exceeding half a million refrigerators across its markets.

However, consumers should distinguish among three descriptions:

1. Manufactured in a Lebanese factory
2. Designed or developed by a Lebanese company but manufactured abroad
3. Imported and sold under a locally managed brand

The country of origin should always be confirmed for the individual model rather than assumed from the brand’s nationality.

Lebanese-made refrigerators

Concord manufactures refrigerators ranging from compact models to large double-door, no-frost units. Models are designed for markets with hot climates and variable operating conditions.

For example, the Concord TN2300 offers:

• 590-litre gross capacity
• Double-door, no-frost cooling
• Tropical-grade operation
• Multi-airflow cooling
• Adjustable shelves
• Energy-saving features

The manufacturer lists various international conformity approvals for this model. Concord’s TN2300 specifications provide the technical details.

A 590-litre TN2300 was recently advertised by a Lebanese retailer at approximately $640–$645, although availability and colour affected the offer. Lebanow’s Concord listing shows one such market price.

Comparison with imported refrigerators

Indicative Lebanese retail listings show the following imported-fridge prices:

Refrigerator category	Lebanese/Concord example	Imported examples in Lebanon
Small refrigerator	Model-dependent	Approximately $117–$240
Mid-size two-door refrigerator	Model-dependent	Approximately $278–$615
Large top-mount refrigerator	Concord 590 L: about $640–$645	Approximately $615–$1,079
Premium French/multi-door refrigerator	Limited direct comparison	Approximately $900–$2,569+

Imported examples include Haier, Hisense, Midea, LG, Hitachi, Toshiba, Samsung, and other brands. Current listings from Younes Electric and Agha Sarkissian illustrate the broad price spread.

The comparison suggests that a large Concord refrigerator can compete with imported mid-market models. It may be considerably cheaper than premium Japanese, Korean, or European-style models, but some mass-market Chinese imports can match or undercut its price.

Capacity alone is not enough for a fair comparison. Buyers should also compare:

• Net rather than gross capacity
• Inverter versus conventional compressor
• Annual electricity consumption
• No-frost or static cooling
• Warranty coverage
• Compressor warranty
• Availability of electronic boards and spare parts

Lebanese commercial and beverage coolers

Commercial coolers are particularly important for Lebanon’s supermarkets, minimarkets, restaurants, hotels, cafés, bakeries, and tourist establishments.

Concord’s range includes single-, double-, and triple-door bottle coolers and display refrigeration. Depending on size and configuration, recent online prices included:

• VBG1098N: approximately $480
• VBG1597N: approximately $550
• Other glass-door models: approximately $600–$659 or more

These figures were displayed by the Concord online store’s bottle-cooler section.

Comparable imported household beverage and wine coolers were recently advertised at approximately:

• 58–80 liter coolers: $190–$300
• Medium beverage and wine coolers: $322–$489
• Larger or dual-zone models: $653 and above

This is not an exact like-for-like comparison. Many cheaper imports are small domestic coolers, whereas Concord’s products include larger commercial display units. A commercial cooler must therefore be compared according to door count, usable litres, compressor rating, shelving, ambient-temperature tolerance, and daily operating cost.

For a Lebanese business, local commercial refrigeration may deliver additional value through faster maintenance and more readily obtainable parts. A cooler that costs slightly less initially but remains out of service while an imported component is sourced can become the more expensive investment.

Lebanese gas cookers

Concord offers gas cookers in several configurations, including:

• 50 × 50 cm
• 60 × 60 cm
• 90 × 60 cm
• Wide-oven models
• Models with bottle compartments
• Semi-professional cookers
• Built-in gas hobs and ovens

Its official catalogue confirms this broad gas-cooker product range. Recent Concord online prices included approximately:

• Selected compact or intermediate model: $243
• Selected 90 cm models: approximately $339–$365
• Regular prices on certain models: up to approximately $420

The current offers can be reviewed through the Concord gas-cooker store.

Comparison with imported gas cookers

Recent Lebanese listings provide useful reference points:

Gas-cooker category	Lebanese-brand examples	Imported examples
Standard cooker	From about $243	Milano 60 cm: about $229
Wide 90 cm cooker	About $339–$365	Ariston 90 cm: about $390
Premium European cooker	Model-dependent	Frequently $500–$1,500+

A Milano 60 cm cooker was listed at approximately $229, while an imported Ariston 90 cm model was advertised at around $390 by Kaystore.

These examples indicate that locally offered Concord cookers sit near the affordable and middle segments of the imported market. Low-cost imports may occasionally be cheaper, but premium imported products can cost substantially more.

The final decision should consider:

• Flame-failure safety devices
• Quality and origin of burners
• Cast-iron versus enamel supports
• Oven insulation
• Automatic ignition
• Gas-and-electric combinations
• Availability of replacement knobs, valves, burners, and oven glass
• Warranty and installation service

Why imported appliances sometimes cost less

It may seem surprising that an imported refrigerator or cooker can sometimes cost less than a Lebanese-produced alternative. Several factors explain this:

• Large overseas factories benefit from enormous production volumes.
• Some exporting countries subsidize industrial production or energy.
• Importers may liquidate old stock at discounted prices.
• Entry-level appliances may use lighter materials and fewer features.
• Online prices may exclude delivery, installation, or extended warranties.
• A “Lebanese brand” may still rely on imported compressors, burners, controls, or sheet metal.

Lebanese manufacturers also face high financing costs, electricity expenses, imported-component costs, limited economies of scale, and supply-chain disruptions.

The economic value of buying locally

Purchasing a locally manufactured appliance can support more than one factory. It can contribute to:

• Industrial and technical employment
• Local maintenance networks
• Demand for metalworking and plastic components
• Packaging and transportation businesses
• Retention of spending within Lebanon
• Development of export-oriented Lebanese brands
• Reduced dependence on finished-product imports

Local manufacturing could expand further through energy-efficient refrigerators, solar-compatible cooling systems, hotel and restaurant equipment, customized supermarket coolers, and appliances designed for unstable electricity supply.

Which choice offers better value?

A Lebanese-made appliance is not automatically better simply because it is local, and an imported appliance is not automatically superior because it carries an international name.

For budget-conscious households, a low-cost imported model may have the lowest purchase price. For families and businesses prioritizing maintenance, climatic suitability, parts availability, and total ownership cost, a locally manufactured or locally supported appliance may represent better long-term value.

Before buying, request a written quotation specifying:

• Exact model and country of manufacture
• Net capacity and energy consumption
• Warranty duration and exclusions
• Compressor or burner warranty
• Delivery and installation charges
• Spare-parts availability
• After-sales service location

Price note: The amounts above are indicative online retail prices observed in Lebanon in August 2026. Promotions, stock, colour, warranty, capacity, and payment method may change the final price.