2020 has seen an increasing role of kitchen appliances compared to other home appliances. Due to the pandemic, people were forced to stay at home, leading to a rise in cooking and baking activities, which resulted in the increased usage of various kitchen appliances. Although the overall kitchen appliance industry experienced a decline due to the pandemic, several categories showed a good performance despite the adverse market conditions.
Amid the changing market environment, the kitchen appliance companies, distributors, and channel partners in 2020 sought innovative ways to transform and overcome the challenges. On August 27th, the "New Trendy and Vibrant Future of Kitchen Enjoyment - 2020 Kitchen Appliance Industry Summit Forum," organized by the China Household Electrical Appliances Association and the Ministry of Information Technology and Industry Development of the National Information Center, was held in Beijing. Representatives of well-known domestic and foreign kitchen appliance brands such as A.O. Smith, Bosch, Casarte, Fotile, Haier, Midea, Robam, Siemens, Wanjiale, Vatti, Supor, Whirlpool, and YOUPIN, as well as emerging kitchen appliance companies and representatives of industry data organizations such as CEC Data, and JD. Com, the exclusive channel cooperation partner, gathered to explore the current situation of the kitchen appliance industry and its future trends and seek new directions for industry development.
According to the development of the kitchen appliance category in recent years, before 2018, the industry showed a trend of high-speed growth influenced by the real estate development bonus. However, from 2018, the industry growth rate gradually slowed down and slightly declined. The pandemic and adverse market conditions caused the kitchen appliance industry to experience a low start but high growth in 2020. The data from CEC show that in Q1 of 2020, the kitchen appliance category hit rock bottom, with a 39% decrease in overall channel sales. However, in Q2 of 2020, kitchen appliance sales rebounded remarkably thanks to key events such as the Labor Day and 618 shopping festivals, with a 6% decrease in overall channel sales. Kitchen appliance sales online showed particularly outstanding performance. The data from JD show that after the Labor Day holiday, kitchen appliance sales experienced explosive growth, with YoY growth rates of 43.5%, 56.1%, and 52.5% in May, June, and July, respectively. It is expected that the YoY growth rate at the end of the year could surpass that of 2019.
The pandemic also accelerated the survival of the fittest in the kitchen appliance industry. The data from CEC show that the number of traditional "smoke, stove, and exhaust fan" trios sold in the first half of 2020 was 599, with 143 new brands entering and 173 brands exiting within the past year. Despite this, the overall concentration of the industry remains stable. The concentration of TOP3, TOP5, and TOP10 went from 56.6%, 70.5%, and 84.9% in 2016, to 57.4%, 72.8%, and 88.6% in 2020, respectively. The companies topping the list maintain a steady and slightly increasing market share.
The decline in the volume and value of kitchen appliances reflects a change in China's consumer confidence index. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, China's residents' desire to spend decreased in the first half of the year, falling to a new low in 13 years. The ratio of per capita consumption to disposable income decreased by eight percentage points compared to 2019. According to GFK China's survey data, only 19% of people had "very confident" attitudes towards the economy in February 2020, while 40% had "somewhat confident" attitudes and 33% were "not confident." The percentage of respondents who felt "very confident" was as high as 55% in 2019. The decrease in consumer spending also reflects the cautiousness of their consumption decision-making. The data from JD show that the average decision-making time of consumers increased from 17.9 days in 2019 to 18.3 days in 2020. The average number of products browsed per customer increased from 19.1 to 20.7, and the average number of times customers browse before purchase increased from three to 3.2 in 2020. Customers are spending more time and effort in product selection and comparison.
Despite consumers becoming more rational in terms of spending, the kitchen appliance industry still boasts multiple advantages on a macro level. In order to promote healthy and rapid economic and social development, the government has proposed the strategic development idea of a "dual circulation," with the home appliance industry being an essential component of the large consumer sector involving essential strategic industries such as upstream raw materials, logistics services, business trade, digital economy, intelligent manufacturing, and new materials. Kitchen appliances are a direct reflection of consumers' lifestyle quality.
徐东生，中国家用电器协会副理事长表示，中国厨电行业必须关注消费升级、科技创新、品质提升以实现发展使命。中国烹饪具有鲜明的民族性，中国厨电行业需要研究中国消费者的烹饪特点，通过大量数据和匹配实验推出更好的厨电产品以满足中国消费者需求，提高生活品质。同时，通过厨电产业的升级带动上下游产业发展，为国内大循环贡献力量。
中国房地产逐步回暖为厨电进一步复苏带来信心。根据国家统计局数据，二季度房地产业产值由负转正，房地产精装修市场将逐渐复苏。作为精装修标配的厨电，油烟机、燃气灶、洗碗机等多个品类有望持续增长。
疫情期间健康家电、新兴厨电受到空前关注，疫情没有打破消费升级的主旋律。当前消费者对待生活品质的要求越来越高，厨房逐渐向社交厨房、智能厨房过渡，成为家庭中的新"C"位。传统厨电产品结构急速变换，吸式、欧式、中式产品份额分别为54.7%、43.8%、1.5%。油烟机上搭载更多智能技术，产品更体现健康理念，A.O.史密斯推出的“挑战零逃逸”油烟机、卡萨帝的“智慧12方烟机”等解决厨房问题，自清洁油烟机也体现技术升级新方向。
新兴品类厨电增长势头喜人。据京东数据显示，新兴厨电产品同比增长达51.1%，拉动了大盘增长。洗碗机厂商加码健康相关功能、提升技术布局和储备。华帝干态抑菌洗碗机、万家乐自主研发Clean-Tech2分子智净技术的洗碗机深受消费者欢迎。多功能料理机、微蒸烤一体机、空气炸锅、果蔬净化器、碗筷消毒器、低糖电饭煲等新品类均有大幅增长。年轻人消费力崛起，厨房健康小家电如空气炸锅、果蔬净化器成为厨电市场良性增长方向。集成产品是另一个表现亮眼的品类，随着国内消费水平不断升级，厨电产品集成化、套系化、场景化趋势明显。
方太在今年推出了集成烹饪中心Ⅱ代产品，除了原先的烟灶蒸烤，还为用户提供了吸油烟机、燃气灶、消毒柜、蒸箱、烤箱、蒸烤烹饪机等多样选择。老板电器推出了“中国新厨房”概念，提供了集成一体机和集成净洗水槽等集成系列产品，完美展现了中国新厨房各种场景。万和在上半年新增了集成灶、厨房烹饪中心+洗涤中心的产品线来解决厨电产品分散布局不利于设计的问题。
方太市场经理王光栋认为，“疫情黑天鹅事件加速了厨电行业的转型，尽管具体给行业带来怎样的影响还不确定，但是企业必须具备产品创新能力，今年上半年方太相继推出了集成烹饪中心Ⅱ代和工程渠道油烟智联产品，我们认为无论是否受到疫情的影响，保持产品创新和变革能力是企业发展的第一动力，希望厨电行业能推出更多自主创新的集成和智能化的产品。”
集成灶产品在疫情初期受到了影响，但是进入二季度之后需求逐渐升高，中怡康数据显示，2020年上半年，集成灶产品零售量线上同比增长了33%。浙江美大推出了集成蒸烤一体的集成灶，丰富了集成灶的实用内涵和科技属性，今年集成灶行业迎来了不少新的入局者，随着品牌数量的增加，集成灶产品在形态、尺寸和搭配上也越来越完善，厨房场景适应能力更强。
对于消费者而言，在疫情的影响下，选购优质的高端厨电产品成为了趋势，京东数据显示，上半年，各品类的高品质产品份额不断提升，因为这些高品质的厨电产品，让烹饪更加有趣、简单、轻松，吸引着越来越多的人进入厨房，体验烹饪的美好。
2020年厨电行业在渠道布局、产品创新和市场运营方面都进行了深入的变革，随着疫情逐渐被控制，厨电行业接下来会有哪些走势，企业应该把重点放在哪里呢？厨电品牌和渠道商有不同的看法，面对多变的市场环境，厨电品牌商认为，解决用户使用痛点、做好渠道布局和调整营销模式仍然是未来的重点。
博西家电华北区产品营销经理王丹表示，“疫情改变了消费者的生活习惯、生活方式和生活理念。用户更多地回归到家庭做饭并花更多的时间在烹饪上，这正好符合了博西的产品线，嵌入式产品在未来也将是我们发展的非常重要的一项产品。从生活理念和生活方式的角度来看，博西家用电器也以消费者体验为中心，从嵌入式产品到除菌消毒洗碗机，均是健康非常重要的一块。接下来，博西在嵌入式和洗碗机方面是非常重要的战略。”
广东万家乐燃气具有限公司厨电产品经理郑睿表示，“我们目前的战略是除了线下外，更大力度扶持线上的渠道，还有其他新的渠道，比如网络其他平台、手机客户端平台，我们将加大投入。在产品方面，我们在全渠道铺量销售，包括今年的“天空系列”和万家乐的“万象系列”。我们希望通过这种方式打通线上和线下，更好地实现销售。”
惠而浦相关负责人认为，“以效率为导向的厨电渠道变革加速期已经到来。惠而浦将通过重点布局线上平台并优化线下的渠道重组，以平衡供求为主的产能保稳，加强产品研发以增强核心产品竞争力，顺应趋势开展新的营销模式调整，打造数字化消费者旅程，抓住市场机遇，取得更好的成绩。”
疫情对厨电电器行业带来了重大变革，未来厨房电器将极大改变消费者的生活。据瑞丽家居出品人首席内容总监周小捷所说，在人工智能的发展下，家居产品，特别是电子类产品，肯定会面临被重新定义的时代。厨电的未来方向是值得期待的。
豆果美食的创始人兼CEO王宇翔则认为，疫情让越来越多的用户认识到做饭对于生活的重要性，更加关注自身健康，带来了厨电行业在疫情之后的反弹或者复苏。
为了促进厨电产业的进一步发展，本次高端论坛上“2020中国厨电行业高峰论暨京东厨卫电器超级品类日”活动正式启动。在启动仪式上，中国家电网总编吕盛华表示，“疫情让大家更加重视健康，更加重视家中的厨房。长远来看，疫情对厨电行业的影响无论是正面还是负面的，都是相对有限的。厨房不仅是一个备餐做饭的地方，也是家庭的温暖幸福所在。未来，厨房、厨电无论从集成集约化、智能便捷化、健康舒适化方面还有很大的发展空间。企业需要通过技术创新来提升消费者的产品体验。”
换句话说，在未来几年里，厨电必然会充分利用先进技术，向更加健康、智能便捷、舒适的方向发展。因此，厨电企业应该加强自己的技术研发和产品创新，不断提高产品质量和用户体验。
