"A small man with great strength", is this small household appliance making a fortune in silence?

For residents in the southern region, the "Return to the South Day" will arrive on time in March and April every year, and after that, there will be more "Dragon Boat Water" and "Plum Rain" waiting. "The walls are sweaty, the clothes are not dry, and the quilt has a sour smell..." has become a true portrayal of daily life in wet and rainy weather.

The most scientific way to cope with wet weather is naturally to add a dehumidifier to your home. According to Baidu Index data, in recent times, the overall search index of dehumidifiers has increased by 41% year-on-year and 11% month-on-month. As a household appliance that can adjust local microenvironment and significantly improve the quality of life, dehumidifiers are being recognized by more and more consumers.

01

Steady development

With the improvement of living standards, the rise of the middle class, and the advanced consumption concept of a new generation of young consumers, people have further requirements for the home environment. Environmental and domestic appliances, including dehumidifiers, have been recognized and favored by consumers, driving the Chinese dehumidifier market into a steady development stage.

According to industry online data, from 2018 to 2021, the industry composite growth rate of dehumidifiers reached 15.9%. As a relatively small category, the dehumidifier market has shown a steady upward trend. What should be noted is that after the outbreak of the epidemic in 2020, the overall home appliance market has shown a downward trend due to various factors such as declining consumer confidence, while dehumidifiers can still maintain growth, reflecting their potential to some extent. In 2021, China's dehumidifier industry broke through the ten million mark, with a total sales of 11.589 million units, a year-on-year increase of 16.8%. The sales reached 8.33 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 23.9%.

However, in 2022, the development trend of dehumidifiers ushered in a transformation. According to industry online data, in 2022, China's sales of household dehumidifiers reached 10.84 million units, a year-on-year decrease of 4.4%; This is also the first time that the sales volume of dehumidifiers has declined after several consecutive years of growth. However, some industry analysts believe that the decline in dehumidifiers is mainly due to the decline in export volume. In 2022, the global economic situation is severe, and the purchasing power of consumers in North America and Europe, the main export markets for dehumidifiers, is declining; On the other hand, rising prices of raw materials, rising production costs, and stabilizing production have also led to a certain decline in exports.

Although the overall market has experienced a decline, the performance of dehumidifiers in the domestic market is still commendable. According to data, even under the influence of factors such as the epidemic and the drought in the south in summer, the domestic sales of household dehumidifiers reached 1.42 million units, which was the same as last year.

In 2023, industry insiders predict that with the release of epidemic control and the implementation of multiple measures to stabilize the economy and promote consumption, household appliances, as an important bulk consumer goods, will also usher in a definitive recovery. As the overall home appliance market environment improves, dehumidifiers will also usher in a new round of growth momentum.

02

Future possibilities

It is worth noting that although dehumidifiers have maintained a steady growth trend in recent years, from the perspective of penetration, there is still a significant gap between domestic dehumidifiers and developed countries such as Europe, the United States, Japan, and South Korea. According to a survey data, the penetration rate of dehumidifiers in developed countries such as Europe and the United States has reached over 30%, South Korea 29%, and Japan 28%, while in China, the penetration rate of dehumidifiers is still less than 5%.

The low permeability, from another perspective, means that dehumidifiers still have sufficient development space. In response, some industry insiders believe that in order to further promote the popularization of dehumidifiers and stimulate market demand, in addition to focusing on the market environment, it is more important for the dehumidifier industry and products to "cultivate internal skills".

According to an online survey, when asked if they would choose to buy dehumidifier products, some consumers said that only 2-3 months of the year are humid, and it can be passed with patience; Some consumers also believe that the dehumidification mode of the air conditioner is sufficient if it is not too humid.

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In response, industry insiders believe that the key to further popularizing dehumidifiers is to enable consumers to form a new concept that dehumidifiers are not appliances that are only useful in specific seasons, but products that can accurately improve the daily living environment and enhance happiness. In fact, in addition to the core dehumidification functions, many dehumidifier products now incorporate functions such as air purification, sterilization, and disinfection. Rather than being referred to as "dehumidifiers," it is more appropriate to use the term "small local environmental regulators.". This requires enterprises and businesses to increase publicity and cultivate consumer awareness. Compared to traditional household appliances, dehumidifiers are relatively novel and require more operational space, such as planting grass on platforms favored by consumers in the Z era such as Station B and Xiaohongshu. According to surveys, workplace newcomers aged 21-30 pay more attention to dehumidifiers, followed by those aged 31-40.

In addition, due to the low technical threshold, dehumidifier products have uneven quality. After purchasing products, consumers find that dehumidifiers are "not the right ones", which over time will overdraw consumers' trust and affect the development of the entire industry. This requires the joint efforts of the entire industry, self-discipline and self correction by manufacturers, and joint efforts to maintain the development of the industry.

Regarding the future development of the dehumidifier category, Li Tao, editor in chief of Home Appliance Network, believes that with the improvement of consumption levels, consumers' pursuit of quality life has always been upward. As long as this demand persists, there will always be a demand for products such as dehumidifiers that can improve the living environment and standard of living. Industry insiders also believe that at present, the rebound in consumption coupled with the awakening of consumer health awareness may be a good time for dehumidifiers to achieve "curve overtaking".