In the rapidly changing market environment, the small household appliance industry has experienced a rapid transformation from a pig on the tuyere to a silent one. This phenomenon highlights a key feature of the consumer goods market: driven by consumer psychology, a product can quickly become popular in a short period of time, but it can also quickly become cold due to various problems.
Back in 2020, the home-centric lifestyle has sparked a wide range of demand for a wide range of small household appliances. Consumers are eager to increase home comfort and efficiency with these convenient, smart devices. At that time, small kitchen appliances were not only a hot topic on social platforms, but also a "version answer" to fill the needs of young consumers. However, the data of AVC reveals the cruel reality of the market, by 2022, the retail sales of 13 categories of small kitchen appliances in traditional channels decreased by 6.7% year-on-year, and the retail volume was 220.49 million units, a year-on-year decrease of 12.7%, and the data during the "6.18" period in 2023 was even more severe, with the retail sales of small kitchen appliances in 14 categories further declining by 19.3% and the retail volume decreasing by 16.5% year-on-year.
The original intention of small household appliances is to enhance the happiness of life and bring convenience to consumers' daily cooking. Multi-functional cooking pots, compact electric lunch boxes, and yogurt makers of various shapes are designed with a high degree of attention to the fit between the user experience and the life scene. Among them, the appearance has become a new battlefield for the competition of small household appliance brands, and the products have attracted a large number of consumers' attention with their appearance and innovative design. The boom of short videos and live broadcasts has further catalyzed the sales of small household appliances, and various recommendations from Internet experts have made the charm of small household appliances explode instantaneously on social platforms.
However, as the market gradually saturated, many problems gradually became apparent. In the fierce price war and market competition, some manufacturers began to sacrifice product quality in exchange for short-term sales growth. In the actual use process, consumers gradually realize that some seemingly practical small household appliances do not really solve the problems in cooking, but increase the burden of life. Problems such as the cumbersome operation of the egg cooker, the time-consuming preparation of the air fryer, and the inconvenience of maintaining and cleaning have made consumers carefully consider the actual value behind these products.
The decline in product quality and the questioning of practicability have become the direct cause of the decline in the sales of small household appliances. In order to pursue market share, some manufacturers adopt strategies such as OEM and low-price competition, but these practices ignore the importance of long-term brand building and consumer experience. And those products that are not properly selected and may even pose a threat to the health of consumers have become the object of market elimination.
Under the current more rational and prudent consumption environment of consumers, small household appliance companies have to re-examine their self-positioning and shift from short-term sales growth in the past to deep insight into long-term market trends. The market is calling for real innovation, not just look and feel and marketing fancy. The market demand for mid-to-high-end and high-quality products is taking shape, and consumers no longer want a "usable" product, but a product that can provide excellent experience, quality service and lasting value.
In the future competition, small household appliance brands must have strong product research and development strength and sufficient market sensitivity, and provide products that can truly solve consumer pain points and meet high market standards, so as to maintain competitiveness in a volatile market environment and end the current weak sales situation. Embracing technological progress, improving product quality, digging deep into consumer needs, and building an excellent service system are the four indispensable pillars to support the future development of small household appliance enterprises.
The reshuffle of the small household appliance market does not mean that all brands will withdraw from this competition venue. On the contrary, this is an era of opportunities and challenges, and truly powerful, far-sighted and cohesive brands will gain new life under the role of market screening mechanism. In the future, the small household appliance industry will transition from the marketing model of "selling point is sold out" to the brand communication of "selling point is value", providing consumers with a richer, healthier and more convenient life experience. This requires companies to gain insight into consumer trends, stick to the bottom line of quality, and build long-term brand credibility and user loyalty through continuous self-innovation.
All in all, only small household appliance enterprises that are down-to-earth, pay attention to product quality, continuously improve technology and optimize user experience can win the ultimate victory in the fierce competition with each other. The successful models of the future market will be those small household appliance brands that can deeply solve user needs, establish lasting connections with consumers, and continue to lead the market trend.