'In foreign countries, air purifiers are more used to solve indoor pollen, bacteria, odor and other problems, the original and most important function of the new wind products is ventilation, which are not used to eliminate qi', Aoushi Smith (China) Zhang Hui, deputy general manager of the investment company’s market, told the China State Grid’s reporter that “to really solve the problem of indoor air cleanliness, there are still many industry problems that need to be broken”.
In recent years, under the spur of the 'smog economy', many industries have become hot, air purifiers and fresh air products are actually two, but as the blue skies battle starts, 'coal changes electricity', 'coal reform The promotion of policies such as Qi's has been effectively alleviated by the haze phenomenon that has been criticized. Under the new circumstances, how should the air-cleaning and fresh-wind industries break?
Industry Development Over-Relying on Haze Economy Insufficient Product R&D and Innovation
With the changes in the general environment and the strengthening of local governance, air quality has clearly improved, and hazy days have been declining. In contrast, the vacant net market has been substantially reduced. According to AVC's omni-channel push total data It shows that in 2017, the total size of the air purifier retail market in China was 16.2 billion yuan, and the sales volume was 7 million units. Although the sales increased by nearly 20% year-on-year, the growth rate in the previous years showed a slowing trend. In 2018, the start was unfavorable. The quantity of Q1 net net products dropped by the same amount. Specifically, the retail sales of air purifiers in the first quarter of 2018 were 2.97 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 43.1%, and the retail volume was 1.513 million, a decrease of 32.8% year-on-year. The overall market was in a downturn.
In Zhang Hui's view, the reasons for the serious decline in the air-cleaning industry are two things: 1. The explosive growth of the air purification industry relies too much on the smog economy, mostly panic buying, and its purchase base is not solid; 2. Many brands entering and exiting do not have deep technical accumulation and strong R&D capabilities. Some companies that use 'quick cash' to disrupt the entire market with low-priced products such as OEMs have failed to control product quality and provide services. In place.
Starting from the haze of wind and fog, the new wind industry that is just about to develop has now become more difficult. The data from Ove Cloud.com shows that the current popularity of the products of the new air system in the Chinese market is less than 5%. Meanwhile, the The drawbacks are quite obvious. According to Zhang Hui's analysis, in the past, many new air products were used to solve the problem of insufficient indoor oxygen or excessive carbon dioxide. Due to the small air volume, it was difficult to reduce the concentration of indoor gaseous pollutants such as formaldehyde through indoor and outdoor air replacement. 'This is particularly evident in the fresh air system,' said Zhang Hui. 'While the air volume of some wall-mounted fresh air products is large enough, due to noise problems, the high-speed gears basically become tasteless. Therefore, how to maintain high air volume under low noise is the current new wind turbine encountered. One of the industry challenges, in addition, the appearance of the new fan on the market is not beautiful.
Visible addition to aldehyde A.O. Smith's break strategy
Based on the specific national conditions, air purifiers and new air products have been put on the stage of history as an effective tool for house removal. Driven by strong interests, many manufacturers are also keen to strengthen and publicize their removal functions. The degree of correlation between products such as haze and air purifiers makes consumers mistakenly think that they are only seasonal products with a smashing function. However, in fact, in foreign countries, air purifiers are more often used to solve indoor pollen and bacteria. , odor and other issues, the most primitive and most important function of the fresh air system is ventilation.
In the current environment where the air pollution index is significantly reduced, the pollution status has not yet been effectively contained. The pollution in some areas still exists and the situation is not optimistic. For example, more and more serious problems of indoor decoration pollution, especially TVOC, formaldehyde, stupid and other indoor harmful substances Exceeding the standard phenomenon is common. Therefore, since 17 years, consumers’ demands have gradually shifted from removing ash to indoor pollution such as formaldehyde. AO Smith proposed two solutions and launched two products targeted at formaldehyde purifiers. Formaldehyde new fan.
According to Zhang Hui, the formaldehyde purifier listed by AO Smith in mid-May was equipped with an accurate formaldehyde digital display function, which was visible in addition to the aldehyde effect. At the same time, this product achieved real and effective removal of aldehydes and was able to reduce formaldehyde to less than The national standard has a lower safety value. 'If the digital display of formaldehyde is achieved, then the aldehyde removal ability of the product becomes intuitive and it is a great challenge for the aldehyde removal performance of the product' Zhang Hui told reporters. AO Smith discovered through extensive experiments. In a closed 10-hour room, if the formaldehyde concentration reaches twice the national standard (0.1 mg/m3), a slightly better air purifier can barely reduce the formaldehyde concentration to the national standard value, but it is difficult to reduce the safety to a lower level. Due to the lower formaldehyde concentration, the faster the volatilization rate, the formaldehyde treatment capacity of ordinary air purifiers is much lower than the formaldehyde release rate, and it is difficult to continue to reduce. At present, many relevant international standards require that the concentration of formaldehyde is best controlled at 0.03 mg/m3, because For children, this level of concentration is truly safe. 'We have introduced a new formaldehyde purifier filter upgrade, optimize the structure of activated carbon filter and develop new formulations, Adsorption efficiency is doubled and it can absorb high-speed released formaldehyde to 0.03mg/m3, which is the top international safety standard.
Strictly speaking, the new air product and the air purifier do not conflict with each other. One focuses on solving the problem of freshness of the air. One solution to the indoor pollution problem can be said to have its own merits in addition to the function of removing aldehydes and can even complement each other. AO Smith's new formaldehyde removal fan is based on the industry's pain points and technical difficulties. Zhang Hui said that this wall-mounted fan is small in volume, high in air volume, and its air volume is up to 300m3/h. At the same time, by adjusting the structure of the fan, noise insulation cotton is added to the inner wall of the fan. The optimized design of the air duct greatly reduces the noise level. The maximum noise is only 38 decibels. When the air volume is low (100 m3/h), it is as low as 23 decibels. This ensures that the performance can be brought to consumers. Extremely quiet experience. In addition, this product is also equipped with a formaldehyde digital display module, in addition to the visible effect of formaldehyde; appearance is also very modern aesthetic, the reporter saw the scene of this new fan really changed the previous new fan' Clumsy' impression, exquisite and beautiful. According to Zhang Hui, the product exclusively uses the patented double word long-acting filter layout, the main filter life is up to 1 year, will be officially launched in August this year. 'I believe this The introduction of the two products will have a very good impetus to the industry, and gradually lead empty and fresh products out of the cycle of seasonal panic buying.
Heavy technology research and development, practical products to guide the market to return to healthy growth
AO Smith has been in the Chinese market for 20 years. The brand vision of becoming a recognized leader in hot water, clean water, heating, and air purification has never changed. Zhang Hui told reporters that compared to other brands, AO Smith has Three major advantages.
The first is the innovative R&D advantage in innate genes. AO Smith is a technology-led enterprise with a strong R&D team. According to Zhang Hui, the group has more than 700 global R&D centers and over 500 engineers in China. , More than 30 laboratories. 'We are committed to constantly challenging industry problems and solving industry pain points. Whether it is for air pollution purifiers designed for heavy pollution or formaldehyde purifiers that are currently the main pushers, it is a solid development and a little bit of research. from. '
The second is product advantages. It is understood that the first generation of AO Smith products far exceeds the new national standard. Both the CADR value and the CCM value are relatively high in the industry, high-speed purification, long-lasting service life, and excellent The use experience makes it win a good reputation among consumers. At the same time, insisting on adopting a safe filtering method also avoids secondary pollution.
The third is channel advantage. A.O. Smith's retail channel has been in China for 20 years and has already had tens of thousands of stores nationwide and tens of thousands of shopping guides. There is a strong channel advantage in both KA and self-built channels, including online.
In the interview, Zhang Hui constantly stressed that products can not be opportunistic. Whether it is air purifiers or fresh air products, they need to return to the essence to solve the needs of indoor air purification and ventilation. 'The industry needs different ways for different players to consume. Solve the real problems, and then do not hurry to speak together, do a good job to do a good job, give consumers a rational guide. 'Zhang Hui said that he hopes to have more companies to participate in, such as providing users with this This kind of product that can effectively solve and have visible effects for formaldehyde will lead the market to return to benign high-speed growth while solving real problems.