The first duopoly in the refrigerator and washing machine industry: Chinese and foreign giants have been struggling for years but to no avail

From the "Four Golden Flowers" in the refrigerator industry, the "competition among many" in the washing machine market, to the current "reunification" of the two major brands in the refrigerator and washing machine industries, a new pattern dominated by Haier and Midea has finally appeared for the first time and has been fully established. This will promote the restructuring and optimization of the entire refrigerator and washing machine market in the next 2-3 years, drive the overall improvement of entry barriers, and accelerate the branding and oligopoly drive of the refrigerator and washing machine industry.

Behind the overall oligopoly of the refrigerator and washing machine industry, it is precisely with the quality and branding of consumer concepts, the giantization and concentration of retail channels, and the scale and technology of industrial upgrading that the entire refrigerator and washing machine market has taken the lead in raising the industry entry threshold and the fission of the brand market competition pattern 10 years after the withdrawal of the "home appliances to the countryside" policy. Ultimately, this will become another giant pattern in the home appliance industry after the "three giants dominate" the air-conditioning market, and the Matthew effect will continue to be staged in other categories.

From the popular Panasonic, Sharp, Toshiba, Bosch Siemens, Whirlpool, Electrolux, Samsung, LG, to the newcomers such as Miyun, Gree Jinghong, Aucma, and Dedo that have emerged in recent years, they have been trying to make a difference in the refrigerator and washing machine market, but none of them has shaken or changed the final "stronger gets stronger" pattern of the refrigerator and washing machine market. On the contrary, in the "competition" between the two giants Midea and Haier, a new round of business changes has been completed, and a large number of the third, fourth, and fifth largest companies have been squeezed out, and the market share "scissors gap" between companies has continued to expand.

The changes in the refrigerator and washing machine market have actually been mainly concentrated in the past two years. This is mainly due to a fierce battle launched by Midea's refrigerator and washing machine business against Haier, which eventually triggered Haier's full counterattack and rebound, thereby driving the market share of Haier and Midea to increase due to competition, and leaving behind Panasonic, Samsung, Bosch Siemens, Whirlpool, and even Hisense Rongsheng, Meiling and other peers. The result of the competition between the two powerful dragons is not only to activate the technical iteration and function upgrade of refrigerator and washing machine products, but more importantly, to give users and the market a clearer choice.

At the same time, in the past two years, the strong rise of e-commerce channels and their active participation in the battle for the refrigerator and washing machine market have helped large companies accelerate the reshuffle of the industry. The current business intentions of JD.com, Tmall and Suning.com are very clear: on the one hand, they need the resources of big brands and giants to gain the retail voice in the refrigerator and washing machine market; on the other hand, they are also attracting more second- and third-tier refrigerator and washing machine companies to participate in the competition, activate the market and stimulate the resources of big brands. As a result, e-commerce channels have greatly lowered the prices of refrigerator and washing machine markets, making the prices of many products return to 10 years ago overnight, but raw materials have risen year by year.

In recent years, in the refrigerator market, Bosch Siemens, Meiling, Hisense Rongsheng, and even Panasonic and Samsung all hoped to gain a chance to stand out in the market. In the end, they either had poor market response speed and follow-up capabilities, or failed to catch up with the development and progress of Haier and Midea in terms of product innovation and technological iteration. In the washing machine market, the fierce competition between Haier and Little Swan has directly squeezed the market position of Panasonic, Whirlpool Sanyo, Siemens and other brands. Basically, in the past few years, they have not encountered counterattacks and stand-outs from other strong competitors.

Over the past decade, the situation of a melee between large, medium and small enterprises in the refrigerator and washing machine market has suddenly become clear: large enterprises have bargaining power over raw materials, and a rich layout of high, medium and low-end markets under the pull of big brands, so they can eliminate opponents through price wars, seize market share and gain the initiative. Finally, with the help of the power of channels, terminal promotion and brand appeal, they can successfully suppress and "beat" a large number of opponents.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.