Home Thinking Wang Jie: In the past decade or so, customized home furnishings have achieved double-digit growth in China.
After experiencing rapid development, a mature model has been established from back-end design, R&D and manufacturing to front-end branding, customer acquisition, channels and services. At the same time, the market has also entered a stage of homogeneous competition. Analysts believe that customization for mass consumption has been saturated, while high-end customized home furnishings have just begun. Consumer demand is gradually released, and a blue ocean situation is opening up, which may lead to a new growth curve in the future. Judging from the situation in 2020, high-end home customization can be said to be highly sought after.
Recently, a piece of news has attracted much attention. At the Shenzhen International Furniture Fair, which opened on August 20, Baineng once again made efforts in high-end customization, launching Jianyi cabinets, Jianying series cloakrooms, and Jianying bathroom cabinets/ A variety of stainless steel customized home products such as balcony cabinets have won unprecedented attention. General Manager Wang Wenxuan delivered a speech on "New Trends in Haute Couture - Stainless Steel Home Furnishings" at the International Fine Decoration Housing Industry Forum, which sparked a heated discussion.
Wang Wenfan, General Manager of Baineng Home
At the previous July Construction Expo, Baineng Home’s high-end products were also highly regarded. Attention. In more than ten years, Baineng has taken advantage of the advantages of stainless steel home furnishings to suddenly emerge, and has successfully established differentiated competitiveness in the fiercely competitive customized home furnishing battlefield. The industry has generally given positive reviews.
The rise
The new force of stainless steel home furnishings in the trend of haute couture
The current home haute couture categories are mainly concentrated in the customized home sector, with cabinets, wardrobes, etc. Focusing on furnishing the entire house, we provide one-stop home furnishing services. The specific approach is to start from the perspectives of brand positioning, main materials, hardware, craftsmanship, design, etc., and find ways to enrich the connotation of haute couture and create brand recognition for haute couture.
Some leading first- and second-tier customized home furnishing companies are trying to use high-end customization to open up the high-net-worth consumer market and enter high-end residential properties, seeking a way to break through price wars and low profits. Some small but beautiful brands strive to create differentiated competitiveness through high-end customization, open up certain market circles, and avoid homogeneous mass confrontation.
Among the forces chasing high-end customization, stainless steel custom home furnishings can be regarded as a sudden rise. Thanks to more than ten years of continuous accumulation in design, craftsmanship, market cultivation and consumer reputation, this category is indeed doing better and better. Leading companies represented by Baineng have not only attracted many dealers and large customers, opening up the situation of real estate decoration, but more importantly, they have won the recognition of middle- and high-income families, thus promoting this product from the edge of the stage to the center.
Going back to before 2006, stainless steel household products at that time were mainly cabinets, which were regarded as industrial products or commercial products. With the advantages of environmental protection and durability, they were mainly used in hotel kitchens, and only a few pursued them. Cost-effective consumer purchase. However, due to factors such as low appearance, cold appearance, and single shape, it is difficult to be widely accepted by the public, and the entire market is in its infancy.
By 2006, Baineng, which had been working in the field of wooden cabinets for a long time, transformed into stainless steel cabinets. This team has accumulated more than 10 years of experience in the cabinet industry and has a good understanding of cabinet design, manufacturing, technology and the consumer market. They found that stainless steel home products have better performance than traditional plates, so they decided to focus on making stainless steel cabinets for home use. Their approach in terms of materials is to introduce 304 stainless steel into home cabinet manufacturing and become a pioneer in food-grade environmentally friendly stainless steel cabinets; at the same time, they have done their homework on design and appearance. Starting from this year, stainless steel cabinets entered the brand management stage for the home market.
During this period, a large number of stainless steel brands joined in, and stainless steel home furnishings became very lively for a while. Many major companies have made arduous efforts. On the one hand, they have introduced automated equipment and used new processes to improve the surface effect, making it into wood grain, cloth grain, stone grain and other styles and colors. They can also make arcs through milling and grooving. shaped panels to achieve diversification of shapes.
The frequency of product and technology iterations has accelerated significantly, with disruptive new products coming out almost every year, such as Baineng’s all-steel cabinets and A8 cabinet technology launched in 2011; and The "metal honeycomb panel" invented was awarded a utility model patent certificate in 2016. A general direction for stainless steel cabinets is to be on par with wooden cabinets in terms of appearance, while surpassing them in performance such as durability and environmental protection.
Among them, 2017 is worth mentioning, that is, the "Technical Regulations for the Application of Residential Stainless Steel Integral Kitchen Cabinets" led by the Guangdong Cabinet Industry Chamber of Commerce. The preparation was started that year, and Baineng served as the chief editor.
The emergence of standards means that products have been widely recognized, and like solid wood cabinets and panel cabinets, they have become a consumer trend and home furnishing trend. At the same time, with standards that can be followed, product quality can be better guaranteed and the healthy development of the entire market promoted.
And by 2017, the craftsmanship and design of stainless steel home furnishings have been improved, and some leading companies have been able to produce products that are comparable to panel-type home furnishings.
It is precisely the emergence of exquisite and elegant products, the wide coverage of sales and service outlets, the advantages of stainless steel materials themselves, and the soft and soft soft furnishing art design that have allowed stainless steel home furnishings to further expand the market and enter the high-end field, appearing in some high-end In the residence.
A new key change has occurred in 2020. The market attention of high-end customized home furnishings has increased rapidly, and many of them have turned their attention to stainless steel home furnishings. We noticed that the appearance of stainless steel haute couture at the Construction Expo in July and the Shenzhen Furniture Fair in August received enthusiastic responses. The stainless steel brand has won multiple booths and its popularity has greatly increased. Many dealers have received on-site consultations, factory inspections and even signed contracts.
Review
Behind the popularity of the market
Stainless steel home furnishings can win market recognition, gradually develop into a mainstream category, and can also follow the pace of mid-to-high-end customization. This It was not achieved overnight. As mentioned above, it has experienced more than ten years of ups and downs in evolution. It is only with the persistence of entrepreneurs, designers and engineers that it has come to where it is today, entering a new round of home consumption upgrades.
The driving force behind this, in addition to the continuous evolution and upgrading of products and technologies, is also due to the advantages of stainless steel home furnishings themselves, the continued improvement of consumer recognition, the growth in supporting demand for fine decoration projects, and Baineng and other major enterprises’ promotion.
The advantages of stainless steel home furnishings
Taking the relatively excellent products in the industry as an example, they can be summarized as food-grade health, artistic beauty, more durable, one-piece molding, not afraid of water, and not moldy , non-deformation, anti-termite and other eight keywords.
Environmental protection and health are the outstanding advantages of stainless steel home products. Some excellent products use 304 stainless steel, which meets food-grade standards and does not contain formaldehyde. It allows direct contact between cabinets and food, dispelling customers' concerns about formaldehyde, etc. Worries about harmful substances.
Environmentally friendly consumption is a key factor influencing purchasing decisions. According to the "Tmall Nest Home Livable Trend Guide" released by Tmall, IKEA and China Business Data Center, 39% of consumers born in the 1990s believe that environmental protection concepts and materials have become more important. According to a survey conducted by Dad Xiangchai, those born in the 1980s and 1990s are more willing to spend money on home environmental protection, accounting for more than 90% of the total consumer users. Durability is also a plus, generally having a service life of 50 years, and the warranty period is longer than that of wooden cabinets. Most of them are formed in one piece, and the countertop and basin are formed in one piece, which ensures that there are no connections at the corners, no stains remain, and no sanitary dead corners are left, and it also improves the aesthetics of the product. In addition, the stainless steel package can undoubtedly better prevent long-term erosion of water stains, not to mention the problem of mold. Furthermore, there are no holes for cockroaches and moths to enter and breed, and the quality of early moth prevention is better than that of wooden furniture.
Consumers are extremely concerned about stainless steel home products
When it comes to high-end products, the driving force that cannot be underestimated comes from consumers. After years of market cultivation, more owners have learned about stainless steel materials and come into contact with more stainless steel home products. This category is no longer unfamiliar, but has entered thousands of households. The more contact you have, the more you understand, you feel that something is good, your recognition continues to increase, and naturally you will have a broader world.
In China’s concept of furniture consumption, face means having quality, good image, and being affordable; lining means being durable, easy to use, and not easily broken. This is exactly what stainless steel customization can do. If we do this, we can solve the difficulties faced by wood-made furniture and win the popularity of the middle and wealthy classes.
The increase in the proportion of hard-decorated houses delivered is also a boon to stainless steel customized homes. The domestic delivery of fine decoration has reached about 32%, and the matching rate of cabinets and bathroom cabinets is very high, close to 100%. Wood products currently occupy a dominant position, and the share of stainless steel products is increasing.
Its advantage is that customization of stainless steel cabinets can reduce certain costs, make delivery more efficient, and there is no need to worry about moisture and mold, so problems are less likely to occur during the home inspection. Furthermore, as owners’ recognition of stainless steel cabinet products has increased significantly, it is more environmentally friendly and durable than traditional wooden products. As a result, finely decorated rooms equipped with stainless steel cabinets will be favored. For developers, houses will sell better.
The joint efforts of major enterprises and merchants such as Baineng have further stimulated the market's consumer enthusiasm. This is also a key factor for the stainless steel home furnishing market to expand and to step into the high-end trend. It has been observed that in recent years, among the leading brands that started out as stainless steel cabinets, not only have their cabinet revenues increased significantly, but almost all of them are moving toward whole-house cabinet customization and high-end customization, which shows that the broad market prospects have been confirmed. .
Breaking the rules
Baineng’s high-end customization layout
On the stage of high-end stainless steel home furnishings, Baineng is a representative company. According to public information, as early as 2018, Baineng had already proposed the positioning of high-end customization of stainless steel cabinets, updated the complete VIP system, and invited Hu Jun to speak for it.
By 2019, a number of sets of high-end customized stainless steel home products have been launched, such as platinum space panel series, Earl's House series, light luxury·new Chinese style series, Ocano cabinets, and Ithaca cloakroom , Pinshang series balcony cabinets/bathroom cabinets, etc., and has established a 1,600-square-meter light luxury life hall at the marketing headquarters.
Objectively speaking, after 14 years of continuous cultivation of stainless steel cabinet products, Baineng has been able to accumulate rich experience, and then build outstanding advantages in products, distribution channels, fine decoration projects, etc., and continue to dig deeper into its own moat.
As far as products are concerned, Baineng also has some unique products based on the advantages of food-grade health, no deformation, no mold, no fear of water, anti-termite, one-piece molding, artistic beauty, and more durability. Features, such as the use of thick honeycomb aluminum filling under the food-grade stainless steel door panel, which is tightly wrapped at 360 degrees, and then welded with an anti-fingerprint stainless steel back panel, make the product more durable and beautiful.
Moreover, Baineng has explored a number of core process technologies, such as laser positioning of pre-embedded hinge holes, stainless steel mortise and tenon process, thermoplastic film process board, ECE carat micro-drill wear-resistant countertop, cabinet stress-bearing Balanced structure, metal honeycomb panel, etc. It is precisely with these technological achievements that Baineng can achieve the after-sales commitment of 10-year warranty and 50-year warranty.
At the 2020 Guangzhou Construction Expo and Shenzhen Furniture Fair, Baineng showed the Jane series 8mm ultra-thin stainless steel door panels that stunned the audience. At the Shenzhen International Furniture Fair in August this year, several Bainon models followed the simple and fashionable route The products have made another breakthrough, focusing on design and space scenes, highlighting high-end living style, and introducing some high-end new materials. Among them, Jianyi cabinets adopt a multi-functional island design, with stainless steel + quartz stone + wood and more A variety of auxiliary materials, equipped with ultra-thin door panels and immersive ambient lighting system. A more forward-looking upgrade measure is that this series is equipped with a smart screen so that users can look up recipes.
Intelligent integration into stainless steel cabinets
Another change in product strategy is that starting from 2019, Baineng will focus on the core products of food-grade stainless steel cabinets and expand to stainless steel wardrobes, balcony cabinets, and bathroom cabinets. Cabinets and other products are moving forward, and many main products are equipped with smart technology, moving from single categories to multi-categories, realizing the transformation from stainless steel integral cabinets to stainless steel whole house customization, thereby broadening the application scope of stainless steel materials, and naturally driving Companies climb to higher platforms.
The expansion of distribution outlets and hundreds of national experience centers located in key provinces and cities have supported Baineng’s penetration in the field of stainless steel customization. Some of these dealers can achieve an annual turnover of tens of millions of yuan, which shows that the market space for stainless steel customized home furnishings is very large. In recent years, Baineng has continued to recruit urban dealers. At this year's Construction Expo and Shenzhen Furniture Fair, new dealers joined.
In addition to distribution and retail sales, Baineng has included the hardcover channel into its core plan, and has accumulated several years of experience to establish a complete engineering business system from preliminary preparation, project construction to post-service. During the cooperation process, Baineng can provide developers with a variety of design solutions from three aspects: functionality, aesthetics, and practicality, and conduct proofing and demonstration of material selection and application.
In the engineering service system, Baineng has considered the entire process. For example, each project has a senior project manager to follow up throughout the entire process. There will also be a full-time person in charge to follow up and coordinate during the installation and delivery process. After the installation is completed A dedicated team will conduct on-site inspections to identify possible problems and resolve them; and provide maintenance services at favorable prices based on customer needs.
And the project performance is quite good. In recent years, it has won many projects. For example, in 2019, it cooperated with Xinyi Real Estate to deliver the talent housing of the first phase of Yulong Mansion within two months. The Fengsheng 101 high-end residential project in Guangzhou also chose Baineng Home stainless steel cabinets, bathrooms, and balcony housekeeping cabinets.
For foreign markets, Baineng also has a long-term layout for engineering channels, which currently covers Europe, the United States, the Middle East, India and other regions.
Generally speaking, the quality of hardcover delivery must be guaranteed, and large-scale construction and tight time constraints must also ensure store supply, which poses a great challenge to stainless steel home furnishing companies. Baineng has already made arrangements. The current two major production bases can meet the needs of large-volume engineering orders, and it is investing in the construction of an Industry 4.0 R&D and production base that will support the delivery of larger batches of hardcover orders.
Analysts believe that driven by the high-end trend, stainless steel home furnishings composed of cabinets, balcony cabinets, bathroom cabinets, wardrobes and other cabinet products The market has the opportunity to usher in a new round of growth. Cooler products, diverse colors, and pleasant scene and space experiences will attract more and more consumers to buy and occupy a certain share in the hardcover channel.
The entire industry will also experience more fierce competition, competing in multiple aspects such as product research and development, appearance design, scene experience, sales channels, delivery capabilities, etc., and leading brands such as Baineng will reap the benefits. Biggest bonus.