This year, new changes have taken place in the competition in the domestic refrigerator industry. A campaign of 'preservation' is starting.
Following the release of new refrigerator preservation technologies by refrigerator companies such as Meiling, Haier, and Rongsheng, on the evening of June 12th, Midea Group Refrigerator Division first launched a microcrystalline refrigerator series that sold for more than 10,000 yuan. Fresh technology'. At this point, the refrigerator giants' set off the "preservation" war tends to white-hot.
Feng Dongmin, a senior research manager of AVC's Icewash Division, told the Daily Economic News in June 13th that 'preservation' will become the next watershed in the refrigerator industry. Midea's refrigerator product planning department is responsible for Jiangnan told reporters that smart refrigerators do not make innovations. There is no way out. The industry concentration will surely become higher and higher. After about 3 to 5 years, it will form a more stable pattern.
Unsustainable growth in the first quarter
In the past few years, the domestic refrigerators were still focused on air-cooling, multi-doors, frequency conversion, and other efforts to make every effort to compete for the refrigerator stock market. However, by 2018, refrigerator companies have returned to the nature of refrigerators and began to explore the preservation of food. .
Each refrigerator company can't wait to release its own preservation technology. At the end of December last year, Meiling refrigerators took the lead in publishing the 'water molecule activation and preservation technology'. In 2018, Haier also released its own 'refrigerated and frozen full-space preservation technology'. "Environmental ecological preservation technology," the United States also released "microcrystalline fresh technology."
On the night of June 12th, Midea’s refrigerator division first launched in Xiamen the “Intelligent Fresh-keeping Technology” microcrystalline refrigerators in Xiamen. “Daily Economic News” reporter learned at the scene that the refrigerators are for sale. Prices range from 13999 yuan to 34999 yuan, Sword refers to the high-end refrigerator market.
Jiangnan told reporters that in the future, 'Microcrystalline Fresh Technology' will be the core product feature of Midea's refrigerators, and Midea will also broaden the product line of smart refrigerators based on this. He said that fresh-keeping is actually the basic mission of refrigerators. Today, he came forward. In his view, the current industry brands are talking about preservation is a general discussion, in the user pain points to solve and focus on the scene did not do enough, the United States and the intelligent preservation of innovation is not a gimmick.
On June 13, Ji Dongmin analyzed with reporters. According to AVC monitoring, retail sales of domestic refrigerators increased by 0.5% in the first quarter of 2018 compared to the same period of last year, and retail sales were 10.5%. This increase was partially overdrawn. The demand for months, so this growth is short-term and unsustainable. '
He told reporters that the door of the refrigerator has rapidly changed from homogenization to homogenization, and it is difficult to make innovations on the door. Moreover, air-cooled, variable-frequency and other technologies have also been rapidly promoted and popularized. In this context, 'keeping fresh ' Technology will become the next watershed for the refrigerator industry.
Some refrigerator brands encounter 'shuffle'
Behind the war on refrigerators' preservation, the domestic refrigerator industry is already very mature. The market's demand basically comes from the upgrading. Ji Dongmin said that the company has constantly introduced fresh-keeping technology and fresh-keeping products. On the one hand, it highlights its own product technology, and on the other hand, it also Highly homogenized and differentiated.
The domestic refrigerator industry has experienced product popularization. After replacing the old one, it has entered the consumer upgrade stage. In this process, the market concentration of the refrigerator industry has gradually increased, and fierce competition in the industry has also shuffled some of the refrigerator brands.
Hunan Ruyi Refrigerator has been suspended from production since 2014. Recently, Xinfei Electric has also been 'abandoned' from Singapore Hong Leong Asia after it has stopped production for the third time. It is implementing a restructuring plan and is recruited through a public auction of shares. New investors, waiting for 'rebirth'.
According to the AVC offline monitoring data, the retail sales of the TOP5 brand in the refrigerator industry in 2014 was 66.3%. As of the 2018 Q1, the retail share of the TOP5 brand has risen to 77.6%. Gangnam told reporters bluntly that In the refrigerator industry, there is no way out without innovation. The degree of brand concentration will surely become higher and higher. After about three to five years, the industry structure will be relatively stable.
Jin Dongmin told reporters that in the white power industry, refrigerators are different from washing machines and air conditioners. The structure of refrigerators is far more complicated than that of washing machines and air conditioners. For small and medium-sized enterprises, the ability to lay out products has been slightly inferior; in addition, the homogeneity of products is serious. Mainstream companies have more advantages in the distribution of differentiated products and the promotion of innovative technologies. In addition, brand influence also positively promotes brand share. These factors are all supporting the increase in concentration of the refrigerator market. However, in his opinion, The current brand structure of '1+4+N' in the refrigerator industry will remain for a long time.