The PRC, measured data, the downturn in the overall environment, the water heater in the kitchen appliances market performance is good and the first three quarters of 2012, the total market of 311 billion yuan, an increase of 3.3% compared with the same period in 2011. Broken down into various categories, including gas water heater scale of retail sales of $ 13.5 billion, an increase of 4.8%; storage-type electric water heater size of up to 17 billion, an increase of 3.5%; electric water heater size of up to 70 billion yuan, down 21.3% . The analysis showed that the gas water heater market performed better than storage water heaters and instantaneous electric water heater.
       Three quarters of deceleration has slowed down
       2010 home appliances, trade, energy subsidies and a series of favorable policies to drive the kitchen electricity market, it presents a blowout similar to growth. In 2011, the impact of negative factors in the external economic environment in the doldrums, the state's stimulus policies to gradually withdraw, kitchen electric market growth decline suffered "winter", can not be spared in the water heater market, by 2012, water heater market in volume or even negative growth trend.
       According to the PRC, pushing the total data: In 2010, the domestic water heater market (excluding solar) retail sales volume of 25.19 million units, up 14.3%. 2011 domestic water heater market slowdown, the overall market (excluding solar) the volume of retail sales reached 25.72 million units, up 2.1% year-on-year; retail sales reached 35.8 billion yuan, up 6.1% year-on-year. The first three quarters of 2012, domestic water heater market (excluding solar) the amount of retail sales of 18.04 million units in the first half of 2012, the volume of retail sales fell 4.6% in the 2012 first three quarters of the volume of retail sales decreased by 2.1% year-on-year, slow down and be put slow.
       Gas water heater market position
       From the the product structure point of view, the electric storage water heaters still occupy the dominant market for three consecutive years has been to maintain the proportion of more than 56% of the amount of retail sales and marketing, and from 2009 onwards, the share of retail sales rising year by year, to 2012 The third quarter reached 60.0%.
       Than electric water heaters, gas water heaters, heating, water consumption is not restricted, large volume of water, small footprint to attract consumers. Gas water heater once dominated since the birth of the water heater market more than a decade, the early vertical-type products on the market after several years out of phase with the replacement, is no longer for sale. Currently on the market mainly to strong discharge machine (occupies 86% share of retail sales), product safety has been greatly improved consumer confidence. With the constant improvement of the city gas pipeline construction, gas water heater market has once again been good.
       The first three quarters from 2009 to 2012, gas water heater share of retail sales continued in more than 35%, although its share of retail sales decreased from 37.5% in 2009 down to 35.5% of the first three quarters of 2012, but retail sales remained unchanged from 2009 to the first three quarters of 2012, has remained at about 40%, and the gas water heater market share of absolute dominance in China's local enterprises, 000 and more prominent brand in the field of gas water heater, gas water heater market in the first three quarters of 2012 million and the volume of retail sales market share of 18.3%, MACRO, the United States also has a strong market performance.
       Three or four markets performed better than a secondary market
       Sales from January to September 2012, the overall water heater market, the volume of retail sales and retail sales showed a downward trend in the volume of retail sales slumped 8.9%, total retail sales fell 3.9%. The degree of a market decline better than the overall market, the volume of retail sales decreased by up to 11.2%. However, four market retail volume and retail sales showed an upward trend, the four market retail sales up 7.2%; gas water heater market, three, four market performance better than one, two markets, the first three quarters of 2012 gas water heater market, the volume of retail sales fell 9.6%, one, two, three, four in volume year-on-year market performance of -11.7%, -6.9%, -5.3%, -2.8%. And home appliances to the countryside as well as Gome, Suning and other national chain stores stationed three or four markets have a close relationship, therefore, the vast three or four markets will inevitably bring new water heater business opportunity.
       Brand competition
       In recent years, the kitchen electricity market there are some subtle changes in the pattern of brand competition. Has been in the electric storage water heater market, by Haier, Smith two giants control, and other vendors into a long-lost potential, difficult to compete with; gas water heater market, "20000" (000 and, MACRO) competition also very intense.
       Electric storage water heater market: According to the PRC, monitoring data show that from January to September 2012, Haier, Smith share of retail sales were 29.2%, 20.7%, Taken together, the overall market share of 49.9% were planning to go; and the United States The volume of retail sales accounted for 14.1% market share, although the United States in the electric storage water heater market share of retail sales compared with Haier, Smith, there is a gap, but its power should not be underestimated. On the current market, the United States through a variety of ways to open the electric storage water heater market has been noticed, in the electric storage water heater market share of retail sales in 2009 from 9.6% in the first three quarters of 2012 rose to 14.1% net up 4.5 percentage points.
       Gas water heater market: in the gas water heater market, such as electricity storage market duopoly situation, namely 000 and MACRO two brands, top ten brand more competitive, unlike the electric storage-type high degree of market concentration. Million and MACRO or gas water heater market leader, but both share the gradual decline in the share of retail sales decreased from 38.0% in 2009 to 34.6% of the first three quarters of 2012, a decrease of 3.4 percentage points. "20,000" in stark contrast to Smith, Smith is the leader position in the power storage market, but to unleash the gas water heater market should not be underestimated. Smith, retail volume share increased from 4.4% in 2009 to 7.9% in the first three quarters of 2012, an increase of 3.5 percent, even more gratifying is that the share of retail sales in 2012 jumped to the market first, 2012 the first three quarter reached 15.4%, 7.1 percentage points higher than 2009.
      "Green energy" into the trend of gas water heater usher in a new opportunity
       In recent years, water heater industry has entered a peak period of a replacement water heater market structure did not change significantly. In June 2012, the water heater for the first time included in the energy subsidies According to the release of domestic gas water heater energy subsidy rules, gas water heater is only an energy-efficient products can enjoy subsidies, the maximum subsidy of 400 yuan, which some products only gas water heater market about 5% of the pulling effect of the policy is limited. Electric water heater is not supported by the water heater category, the face of adverse market environment, enterprises have to take markdowns, technology upgrades and other self-help measures, such as improving the water speed, many products have done the instant hot water speed comparable and gas water heaters and instantaneous water heaters. But in the long term, energy-saving water heaters will become the leader to promote industrial restructuring and upgrading, gas water heater companies will benefit.
       Condensing water heater gas water heater only to reach the national level of energy efficiency, thermal efficiency of more than 96% of high-end products only up to the level of energy efficiency as a gas water heater industry, condensing water heater universal coverage, every family in China million units condensing water heater can reduce thousands of tons of carbon dioxide emissions, saving more than a thousand tons of standard coal, the significance of the energy saving and environmental protection can be imagined.
       In fact, as early as in 2000, the domestic gas water heater companies began to conduct research and development and experimental technology of condensing water heater.
       According to the PRC, monitoring data show that from January to September 2012, the national gas water heaters sold a total of 1.44 million units, mainly ordinary water heater, condensing gas water heaters account for only 5.7%. Subsidies for energy-saving appliances New Deal limited energy efficiency rating of a gas water heater in order to obtain subsidies, in fact, only the condensing water heater to meet this standard, this spread has a very important role to accelerate its promotion in the domestic market. As can be seen in Figure 7, since June 2012, after condensing gas water heater into the water heater energy subsidies range, its market share soared, the share of retail sales increased from 5.4% in June 2012 to September 2012 8.8%, an increase of 3.4 percentage points; retail sales from 7.0% in June 2012 to 10.8% in September 2012, an increase of 3.8 percentage points.
       According to the PRC, monitoring data show that the growth of the condensing gas water heater is not only reflected in the market share, is also reflected in the number of sale, condensing gas water heater in the sale of the number has been rising since June 2012, rose from 92 in June 2012 to 132 in September 2012, an increase of 43.5%.
       Gas water heater conform to the energy-saving "low carbon" tide
       From the global situation to the development trend of China's household electrical appliances, "low carbon" life has become the focus of the public to explore, with the improvement of people's quality of life, energy and water saving "green water heater products is becoming consumers to buy home appliances The main concern. Directly related to the state of the human survival, water heaters and other appliances, low-carbon features the most talked about, gas water heater with low-carbon energy technologies by domestic consumers attention and favor of the broad market prospects will further promote the industrial upgrading of the gas water heater . According to the survey of online consumers, 42% of consumers in the purchase of electric water heaters mainly taking into account the "electrical energy" Putting aside the gas or electricity savings, just from the perspective of consumers, the people's awareness of environmental protection is being strengthened gas water heater industry new developments, new trends have also been uncertain.