AsianFin -- China's home appliance sector posted a banner year in 2024, as overseas demand for smart and energy-efficient products surged, and the country's top players—Midea, Haier, TCL, and Hisense—cemented their positions as global market leaders.
According to the 2024 Annual Report on China's Home Appliance Industry, domestic sales rose 9% year-on-year to RMB 846.8 billion ($117 billion), while exports soared 20.8% to 4.48 billion units. Export value totaled RMB 712.2 billion ($98.5 billion), up 15.4% from 2023.
The strong performance underscores how China's appliance makers are evolving beyond manufacturing scale to focus on global brand-building, technology leadership, and localized supply chains.
While China's domestic appliance market growth slows, overseas markets—particularly North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia—are becoming increasingly vital. In 2023, domestic sales growth in the sector decelerated to just 3.2%, while export values rose 8.7%, with smart and eco-friendly appliances leading the charge at over 15% growth, according to Statista.
In this context, international markets are no longer optional for Chinese appliance brands—they're essential. The latest earnings reports from the country's "Big Four" appliance makers reflect this strategic shift.
Midea Group reported Q1 2025 revenue of RMB 128.4 billion ($17.7 billion), up 20.6% year-on-year, with overseas e-commerce sales jumping over 50%. Foreign revenue now exceeds 40% of its total, crossing the $20 billion mark. Full-year 2024 revenue rose 9.5% to RMB 409.1 billion, making it the only Chinese appliance firm to surpass RMB 400 billion in sales.
Haier Smart Home posted Q1 2025 revenue of RMB 79.1 billion, up 10%, while 2024 revenue increased 4.3% to RMB 285.98 billion. Overseas sales grew 5.4% to RMB 143.81 billion, accounting for more than half its total—a milestone Haier first crossed in 2021.
TCL Smart Home, previously known as Homa Appliances, saw 2024 revenue grow 21% to RMB 18.36 billion, with overseas business more than doubling in two years to RMB 13.49 billion. Q1 2025 revenue rose 9.6% to RMB 4.6 billion, driven by robust international performance.
Hisense, through its subsidiaries Hisense Visual Technology and Hisense Home Appliances, posted 2024 overseas revenue of RMB 27.95 billion and RMB 35.6 billion respectively. The latter's 28% overseas growth lifted foreign sales to nearly 40% of total revenue. External sales are expected to grow over 20% in Q1 2025.
While their globalization trajectories may look similar on the surface, each company has carved a distinctive path in navigating overseas expansion—from tech-led acquisitions to ecosystem integration and cultural marketing.
Midea Bets on Technology-Fueled Acquisitions
"Midea's domestic market share is already very high, but its overseas penetration remains in the single digits—meaning there's still huge growth potential," CFO Zhong Zheng told China Entrepreneur in 2023.
To unlock that growth, Midea has doubled down on global M&A, acquiring Japan's Toshiba appliance unit, Italy's Clivet, German robotics firm KUKA, Thailand's Hitachi compressor plant, and most recently, European kitchen brand Teka.
But Midea's acquisition spree is more strategic than superficial. It focuses on two core principles: technology-driven transformation and market complementarity.
By absorbing the R&D capabilities of firms like Toshiba and KUKA, Midea has accelerated its shift from traditional manufacturing to intelligent technology. Meanwhile, the acquired firms' brands and distribution channels have helped Midea break into premium Western markets and streamline its global supply chain.
As of 2024, Midea owns 23 overseas factories (11 via M&A) and 22 R&D centers worldwide. It tailors products to local markets—like "island air conditioners" for Africa, modular cold-climate heat pumps for North America, and R290 commercial heat pumps for Europe.
Midea's overseas self-branded (OBM) product sales rose from 29% to 43% of its global revenue in just five years.
Haier Focuses on Ecosystem and Standard Export
Haier, China's earliest appliance exporter, is shifting its global strategy from "product out" to "ecosystem in."
It continues to use acquisitions strategically, such as buying South Africa's Kwikot to promote solar water heaters, and embedding its smart-home ecosystem into existing trusted brands.
This "solution over product" model lets Haier upgrade from selling appliances to selling lifestyles. "People don't buy appliances—they buy solutions," said Zeng Fanhua, an expert on Chinese brands going abroad.
Haier is also exporting technical standards, notably after acquiring the CO₂-based commercial refrigeration business from Carrier. This low-GWP technology aligns with EU carbon rules, enabling Haier to set environmental benchmarks in key markets.
Chairman Zhou Yunjie put it succinctly: "We must evolve from product exporters to ecosystem builders, creating local industry chains that reflect our values."
However, cross-border M&A carries risks—from high capital expenditures to cross-cultural integration challenges. "The biggest risk is delivering certainty to insiders within their cognitive comfort zone," Zeng warned.
TCL Scales Quietly; Hisense Plays Loud with Sports
While Haier and Midea made headlines with global acquisitions, TCL Smart Home has quietly built one of the world's largest refrigerator OEM networks. Formerly Homa Appliances, TCL has been the No. 1 Chinese refrigerator exporter for 16 years, with top rankings in Japan, the UK, France, and Italy.
Rather than lead with brand, TCL leveraged its global manufacturing scale, then layered in branding where appropriate—an approach that has minimized risk and maximized supply chain efficiency.
In contrast, Hisense has opted for bold branding through sports sponsorships, from the UEFA Euro and FIFA World Cup to the Australian Open and F1 Red Bull Racing. These events have given Hisense global exposure while localizing its brand through targeted partnerships like Germany's Schalke 04 and NASCAR in the U.S.
In the 2024 UEFA Euro, Hisense served as official VAR (video assistant referee) display partner, showcasing its tech credentials while aligning the brand with fairness and precision—reaching 5 billion global impressions.
Brand awareness for Hisense rose from 28% in 2017 to 56% in 2024, according to Ipsos. "Sports are the world's universal language, giving us a platform to transcend cultural boundaries," said Hisense's brand GM Pang Jing.
Outlook: From Scale to Value
China's appliance giants are no longer content with being the world's factory. They are increasingly acting like global brand stewards, tech innovators, and ecosystem architects.
Their paths diverge—Midea with tech-driven M&A, Haier through ecosystems and standards, TCL with quiet scale, and Hisense via cultural resonance—but they converge on a shared goal: transitioning from volume exporters to value creators on the global stage.
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