Recently, the topic of rising prices of household appliances has been a hot topic on social media.An electrical appliance salesperson said: "There will definitely be price increases in April, 10% for sure. Not just range hoods, but all electrical appliances and all brands will go up. If you want to buy, it's best before mid-April."
At present, the terminal retail prices of home appliances have not yet been fully increased, but the countdown to the price increase has entered. Price adjustments for most brands will be officially implemented in mid-to-late April. Many consumers have found that the prices of home appliances that they had previously favored have increased, and the cost of purchasing home appliances for decoration has increased significantly.
Kitchen appliances have become the most prominent category in this price increase, with a basic increase of 10%. New kitchen appliances newly launched in April and May this year are expected to increase by 30%.
White home appliances are also unable to escape the price increase trend. The air conditioner category is affected by raw materials, and the overall increase is expected to be 10%-15%. A 2-horsepower on-hook air conditioner that costs about 4,000 yuan will be directly more expensive by 400 yuan after the price increase.
However, some brands will adjust prices after completing promotions, leaving a short window for consumers to purchase.
The core reason for the collective price increase of home appliances is the sharp surge in the prices of upstream raw materials.
The price of copper has increased by 18.6% compared to last year's average price. As a core raw material for air conditioners, it has directly pushed up the cost of white home appliances; the ABS plastic used in home appliance casings has increased by more than 50%.
At the same time, the expansion of AI data centers has triggered a chip shortage, and the price of memory chips for home appliances has risen sharply, which has also put pressure on the costs of TV and other categories.
The mobile phone category has also been affected by this and has experienced price increases. Many models have officially announced price increases or the cancellation of discounts.
It is worth noting that this price adjustment is not one-size-fits-all for all categories. Price increases for new products and new batches of models are expected to be stronger, while prices for older models in stock will remain stable. Brands will also maintain sales and clear inventory through older products.
In order to dispel consumers' concerns, many home appliance stores have launched a "buy now, collect later" price locking strategy, which can lock in the current promotional price and make up the difference if a lower price appears later.