The 2024 Berlin International Consumer Electronics Fair (IFA) is held in Germany from September 6 to 10. After 100 years of development, the exhibition is no longer limited to home appliances, but also includes the latest technology, culture, entertainment, business and other elements, the Japanese professional website home appliance watch reported. According to the official information, this year, IFA attracted more than 1800 exhibitors, artificial intelligence is the focus of the exhibition. In recent years, Chinese enterprises frequently appear in the IFA, a global technology show. Chinese companies are competing with established industry leaders such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Siemens and Robert Bosch GmbH, the Korea Times reported Thursday.
The German 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (IFA)2024 on September 6 at the Berlin Convention and Exhibition Centre.
From small appliances to cutting-edge technology
On the 100th anniversary of the IFA exhibition, German Chancellor Scholtz led a group of journalists on a tour. At the opening ceremony, Scholtz stressed that innovation was the only way for Germany to remain an industrial power, the German Morning Post reported. He said he supported free trade and cross-border supply chains and“We can not isolate ourselves”. In recent years, the IFA exhibition has attracted more and more Asian exhibitors, especially Chinese enterprises. It is understood that this year, the scale of Chinese enterprises and the number of exhibitors have reached a record high.
A special correspondent of the Global Times found that many Chinese companies had independently booked a hall in the Berlin Convention and Exhibition Center. All kinds of cutting-edge technology and advanced products attracted the exhibitors. TCL staff told the Global Times that smart home energy systems like Tcl’s, solar panels, energy storage, heat pumps and other energy-related equipment can be managed through Tcl’s smart home application, which is attractive to energy-sensitive European customers. In the Haier brand booth, the reporter saw a lot of visitors to the Haier fresh-keeping refrigerator, smart wine cabinets and so on are very interested.
In Europe, energy prices soared, consumer demand for electricity-saving growth in the context of small home appliances are favored. The exhibition, some small and medium-sized enterprises in China to show the automatic cooking machine, mini-washing machine, solar energy headphones and other heat.
“Young customers increasingly like Chinese products.”
Mr. Chen, a manager from Zhejiang province who has participated in more than 20 IFA exhibitions, told reporters that when he first came to the exhibition, it was dominated by European, n, Japanese and Korean brands. Today, the Chinese independent private pavilion, the small and medium-sized enterprises of the booth is also two or three times larger, showing the“Made in China” and the competitiveness of Chinese technology.
South Korea is this year’s IFA partner. A South Korean company told the Korea Times that the technology displayed by Chinese brands at the fair was very eye-catching and that these brands became competitors for South Korean brands. Japan’s“Home Appliances Watch” website reported that once home appliances-based IFA exhibition, in recent years through the participation of exhibitors such as start-ups to expand the scale. However, the number of exhibitors from Japanese companies has declined in recent years. This year, only 10 Japanese companies, including Sony, Panasonic, Sharp and other large enterprises and some start-ups.
A purchasing manager from Croatia told the global times that Chinese brands are impressive, with strong functions and fashionable designs as well as price advantages. In particular, young customers increasingly like Chinese products.
Not“Divide the cake,” but“Expand the cake.”
In Wande City, Germany’s largest electronics chain, a special correspondent for the Global Times saw many chinese-branded products being sold here, with Chinese brands in almost every category. The Alexander Gazsi has 47,000 products, more than half of which are “Made in China”, seksel, managing director of the Weddin store in Berlin, told the media. The latest Chinese appliances on display at the IFA also gives German sellers more confidence that more chinese-branded appliances will be introduced to the German market as soon as possible.
The promotion of European consumer acceptance can not be separated from the Chinese household appliance enterprises’ overseas strategy for several years. Haier staff told the global times special correspondent that Haier has built factories in Italy, Romania, Turkey and other countries. The products produced by Haier’s European factory are not only supplied to the local market, it can also radiate the entire EU market as well as other international markets. Tcl staff also said that Tcl manufacturing base in Poland as Europe’s manufacturing, storage and distribution, service center, TV annual production capacity of more than 5 million units, products can be shipped to all European countries within three days.
But due to inflation and so on, Europe and other places to reduce consumption is also not negligible objective challenges. Sales of electronic goods such as televisions, audio devices and game consoles are expected to shrink to about $7.6 bn this year, 2023 to $8.2 bn, according to Bitkom, the German industry association, 9.3 billion euros in 2020. In addition, the competition between Chinese Enterprises and European, n, Japanese and Korean enterprises as well as the competition between Chinese Enterprises is also intensifying.
Regarding the advantages and challenges of Chinese household appliance companies going to sea, Qian Cheng, CEO of Chinese Corvis Robot, said in an interview with a special correspondent of the Global Times that this year is his 12th participation in the IFA exhibition in the last 15 years, every year there are changes, the biggest feeling is the Chinese brand, Chinese innovation is getting stronger and stronger. He believes that Chinese companies are not“Sharing the cake”, but“Expanding the cake”. The market certainly has the competition, overcomes the price competition forever is the better technology, the better innovation.