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Home appliance companies expand the field of kitchen refrigeration into a new battlefield
In the field of traditional home appliances, users’ personalized needs are becoming stronger and stronger, giving birth to many market segments. For example, kitchen air conditioners have become a sub-segment developed by home appliance manufacturers. The reporter learned from an interview that since this year, manufacturers of air conditioners and kitchen appliances have increased product research and development, and kitchens have become a new battlefield for refrigeration appliances.
Manufacturers frequently push new kitchen refrigeration products
Sweating profusely while cooking in the kitchen in summer has long been a problem to be solved. The advancement of technology and the advent of the scene-oriented era have opened up new development space for kitchen refrigeration.
On August 17, Haier officially released the whole house air customization scene, extending the application scene of air conditioning from the living room and bedroom to the kitchen, bathroom and other spaces. Aiming at the kitchen environment with high humidity and high acidity, Haier's kitchen special central air conditioner adopts professional selection of anti-smoke, corrosion resistance and easy cleaning.
There are not only air-conditioning manufacturers but also kitchen appliance brands focusing on the kitchen refrigeration segment.
On the evening of August 12th, at the 2021 new product launch conference, Fangtai launched a high-profile product called the "2nd Generation Integrated Cooking Center". This first refrigeration range hood that can "blow cold air" has attracted many people in the industry. Yiliang.
As early as May of this year, Midea also launched a portable air-conditioning "small cool block" to bring solutions to the high temperature environment in the kitchen.
Home appliance industry expert Lin Weidong introduced that the difference between a kitchen-specific air conditioner and an ordinary indoor air conditioner is that it is more adapted to the special environment of the kitchen. The return air filter of the kitchen special air conditioner is different from the ordinary indoor unit. There is a layer of oil filter similar to the range hood, which can prevent the oil fume from entering the air conditioner to condense; secondly, the panel, heat exchanger and other components of the special kitchen air conditioner are used Special materials or special process treatments can effectively protect oil fume and water stains from corrosion, have a longer service life, and are easier to clean and maintain.
Kitchen refrigeration is not a new concept
The reporter learned that kitchen air conditioning and refrigeration are not new concepts.
As early as more than ten years ago, Midea had launched the "Little Kitchen Star" kitchen air conditioner (wall-mounted air conditioner); 4 years ago, Gree launched the "Gree Kitchen Enjoy" air conditioner (a special air conditioner suspended in the kitchen ceiling); recently In the past few years, foreign brands such as Hitachi and Daikin have also tried to make "kitchen-specific air-conditioning" solutions (central air-conditioning embedded in the ceiling). However, after these products were put on the market, they failed to arouse much splash and became popular, so few manufacturers are willing to follow up.
The industry analysts believe that the reason is that on the one hand, the manufacturer did not use kitchen air conditioners as the main product, and the promotion was not enough; on the other hand, it may be limited by the consumer's housing conditions, consumption level, and consumption philosophy at that time. Most citizens first consider installing air conditioners in the living room and bedroom, but the kitchen space is limited and the use environment is special, so they have not been considered before.
The potential of market segments remains to be seen
Since this year, why have home appliance manufacturers stepped up their efforts to refrigerate the kitchen?
"The appearance of air-conditioning products and solutions in the kitchen scene is also to meet the needs of the market." The market leader of Guangxi, a number of air-conditioning brands, said that in the field of traditional home appliances, users’ personalized needs have become stronger and stronger, and the trend of consumption upgrades is obvious. As a result, many sub-category markets have emerged, such as kitchen air conditioners, air conditioners for the elderly, and children's air conditioners to meet the special needs of more users in different environments.
Home appliance industry analyst Zhu Yihu believes that a very important direct reason is that the air-conditioning industry has entered a bottleneck period. In the era of stock competition, the market needs some fresh products to stimulate consumption and obtain new profit points. For air conditioner manufacturers, they must seek breakthroughs in high-end, healthy, and scene-oriented aspects. Expanding the kitchen refrigeration market is undoubtedly one of the choices.
Kitchen air conditioners, which used to belong to a niche, are now accelerating into the public’s field of vision. Industry insiders said that more companies joining the track and participating in the competition will ultimately benefit users and provide users with more and more cost-effective products. However, it remains to be seen what the development potential of this market segment is.
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