Core Viewpoint - The small home appliance industry has experienced a rapid rise and fall after the "stay-at-home economy," leading to a price war that has not resulted in increased sales despite significant price reductions [2][4]. Market Performance - The overall retail volume of small home appliances in the first half of 2025 is projected to be 136.52 million units, a year-on-year decrease of 1.2% [2]. - The kitchen appliance market's retail revenue in 2023 is approximately 54.93 billion yuan, down 9.6% year-on-year, with a retail volume of about 265 million units, also down 1.8% [2]. - During the 2024 "618" promotion, the retail revenue for kitchen appliances across online channels was 3.28 billion yuan, a decline of 10.3% year-on-year [2]. Profitability Issues - The small appliance industry's profit margin was only 8.3% in 2023, and the price war has exacerbated the profitability issues, with many companies facing a situation where selling more leads to greater losses [6]. - The average selling price for blow dryers has dropped below 300 yuan, with a market share increase of nearly 11 percentage points [6]. - Companies like Suoer reported a gross margin of 24.65% in their 2024 semi-annual report, a decrease of 0.63 percentage points year-on-year [11]. Market Dynamics - The small appliance market is characterized by severe homogenization, with low market entry barriers leading to intense competition and a lack of genuine innovation [4][5]. - Many brands are not investing in research and development, opting instead to modify existing molds and push new products at low costs, perpetuating a cycle of price competition [5]. - The market is increasingly crowded with new entrants, including internet brands and cross-industry players, which has diluted the market share of traditional brands like Midea and Supor [6][14]. Consumer Behavior - Consumers are becoming more discerning, often expressing dissatisfaction with new products that do not offer significant improvements over existing ones [4]. - There is a growing trend of impulse purchases leading to products being underutilized, contributing to a "sales ceiling" for many small appliance categories [4]. Future Outlook - The small appliance market is entering a deep adjustment period, and companies may need to shift from price competition to value competition to escape the current stagnation [19]. - Some companies are exploring differentiated competition strategies, such as offering value-added services like trade-in programs and proactive customer service [19][20].

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the collaborative efforts of various stakeholders to help foreign trade enterprises expand into the domestic market, enhancing their resilience against external uncertainties and improving their overall development certainty [1][3]. Group 1: Market Expansion Strategies - Foreign trade enterprises are adjusting their product direction to cater to domestic market demands, with a focus on optimizing financial services to support their transition [1][3]. - Companies like Xinbao Co., which has a significant portion of its sales from exports, are successfully leveraging e-commerce platforms to boost domestic sales, as seen during the Tmall "618" shopping festival [1][2]. - The domestic small home appliance market is expected to grow significantly, with companies planning to launch new products by 2025 [2]. Group 2: Government and Policy Support - The Ministry of Commerce is actively promoting the integration of domestic and foreign trade, providing support to foreign trade enterprises to help them navigate external challenges [3][4]. - Local governments are implementing policies to support foreign trade enterprises, such as including foreign trade products in consumption upgrade programs and organizing promotional events [4][5]. - E-commerce platforms are playing a crucial role in assisting foreign trade enterprises by providing financial support and facilitating their entry into the domestic market [5][6]. Group 3: Challenges and Recommendations - Foreign trade enterprises face challenges in adapting their products to meet domestic market needs, which may require significant time and resources [6][7]. - There is a need for enhanced financing support for foreign trade enterprises, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses, to help them manage the transition [7]. - Establishing communication platforms to connect foreign trade enterprises with domestic distribution channels is essential to reduce information gaps and facilitate market entry [7].

Core Insights - The "618" shopping festival this year showed a decline compared to previous years, but still received positive responses from merchants amid changing international trade dynamics and pressure on the domestic consumption market [1][6] - Home products, particularly well-known brands, experienced significant sales growth during the "618" period, indicating a shift in consumer preferences [1][2] - The promotional strategies have evolved, with many merchants focusing on international markets, suggesting that "618" and "Double 11" could become global shopping festivals in the future [1][5][7] Home Product Promotions - Sales of home products during this year's "618" were optimistic, with high-end smart toilets seeing a 45% year-on-year increase in sales on JD platform [1] - Other home appliances and small kitchen gadgets, such as multi-functional cooking pots and electronic scales, also saw over 100% year-on-year growth [1] - Suning reported a 69% year-on-year increase in sales of cleaning appliances and smart small home appliances since the start of the promotion [2] Popular Home Products - The most popular home products this year included small kitchen appliances like mini rice cookers and multifunctional steamers, particularly favored by younger consumers [3][4] - Prices of various kitchen small appliances have increased, with rice cookers up 20.74% and steamers up 37.42% year-on-year [3] - Smart small appliances and cooling products gained traction, with portable fans seeing a 300% increase in sales [3] Shift from Domestic to International Markets - The concept of "involution" has led many merchants to shift their focus from domestic competition to international markets, particularly Southeast Asia [5][6] - The Southeast Asian e-commerce market has shown significant growth, with a 123% year-on-year increase in GMV reported by TikTok Shop [6] - The stable policy environment in Southeast Asia is seen as advantageous for merchants looking to expand internationally [6]

Group 1 - The "trade-in" policy has expanded this year, covering more product categories and stimulating consumer demand for home appliances, mobile phones, and smart wearable devices [1][2] - Retail sales of home appliances and audio-visual equipment increased by 53% year-on-year in May, while communication equipment sales rose by 33%, indicating a strong impact from the trade-in policy [1][2] - The sales of smart devices, particularly smartwatches, have seen significant growth, with an overall increase of 54% and smartwatches alone achieving an 80% year-on-year increase [2][3] Group 2 - Companies are adapting to the trend of consumption structure upgrades by launching products that meet consumer demands, such as large-screen TVs and smart refrigerators [3][4] - The market for quality products is growing, with companies like Hisense achieving top sales in 4K projectors on platforms like JD.com, reflecting consumer preference for high-quality and health-oriented products [3] - There is a call for companies to increase investment in product research and innovation to align with policy directions and consumer needs, enhancing market competitiveness [4][5]

Core Viewpoint - The "6.18" mid-year shopping festival in 2023 faced challenges due to the early promotion period and the suspension of national subsidies, leading to a weaker than expected sales performance [1][2]. Group 1: Sales Performance - The sales during the "6.18" event were impacted by the suspension of national subsidies, with some regions experiencing a significant drop in customer traffic [1]. - In the first three weeks of the "6.18" promotion (from May 12 to June 1), the online sales of color TVs reached 937,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 32.1%, with sales revenue of 3.49 billion yuan, up 34.2% [2]. - Many companies reported that the sales during "6.18" were lackluster, attributing this to the fragmentation of consumer demand due to various promotional activities leading up to the event [2][3]. Group 2: Competitive Landscape - In regions where national subsidies were still available, retailers continued to push for sales aggressively, competing closely with online platforms [3]. - JD.com reported that during the first half of the "6.18" event, its sales of digital products accounted for 69% of the market share among major e-commerce platforms, with significant year-on-year growth across various categories [3]. Group 3: Policy and Future Outlook - The government has allocated 300 billion yuan in special bonds to support the consumption of old-for-new policies, with 162 billion yuan already distributed to localities [4]. - Analysts predict that the high base of consumer electronics sales from the fourth quarter of 2024 may lead to lower growth expectations for the second half of 2025 [4].

Group 1 - The "6.18" shopping festival this year faced challenges due to the early promotion period and the suspension of national subsidies in some regions, leading to a weaker sales push [4][5] - In the first three weeks of the "6.18" promotion (from May 12 to June 1), the online sales of color TVs in China reached 937,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 32.1%, with sales revenue of 3.49 billion yuan, up 34.2% [5] - Many companies did not increase promotional efforts as in previous years, with some reporting average sales performance during the "6.18" event [5][6] Group 2 - In regions where national subsidies were still available, retailers continued to push sales aggressively, competing closely with online platforms [6] - JD.com reported that during the first half of the "6.18" event, it captured 69% of the sales in digital products among major e-commerce platforms, with significant growth in major appliance categories [6] - The government has allocated 3 trillion yuan in special bonds to support the "old-for-new" consumption policy, with 1.62 trillion yuan already distributed to localities [7]

Group 1 - Foreign trade enterprises are actively expanding into the domestic market to enhance resilience against external uncertainties, supported by government initiatives and e-commerce platforms [1][3][4] - The domestic small home appliance market has significant growth potential, with companies like Xinbao actively developing their own brands and exploring new marketing strategies [2][3] - In April, domestic sales of companies engaged in exports to the U.S. increased by 4.7% year-on-year, with 21 out of 31 manufacturing sectors showing improved domestic sales ratios compared to the previous year [3][4] Group 2 - E-commerce platforms have implemented measures to support foreign trade enterprises, resulting in over 3,100 foreign trade companies entering the market and generating sales exceeding 1.1 billion yuan [4][5] - The "Thousand Billion Support" plan by Pinduoduo aims to provide subsidies to cross-border small and medium-sized enterprises, helping them stabilize production and expand into the domestic market [5][6] - There is a need for enhanced policy support and financial assistance for foreign trade enterprises transitioning to domestic sales, as they face various challenges during this transformation [6][7] Group 3 - The government is promoting the integration of domestic and foreign trade, helping enterprises effectively respond to external shocks and encouraging participation in initiatives like "Old for New" [3][6] - Local governments are also taking action to support foreign trade enterprises, such as including foreign trade products in consumption policies and organizing promotional events [3][6] - Industry experts emphasize the importance of building brands and obtaining compliance qualifications for foreign trade enterprises to successfully enter the domestic market [7]