Under the interaction of user demand upgrades and the trade-in policy, the home appliance industry has迎来了新一轮的升级与蜕变, with competition focusing on technological innovation and product value enhancement.

Against this backdrop, how should appliance brands position themselves in the hot high-end market? On March 20, the China Household Electrical Appliances & Electronics Expo 2025 (referred to as AWE2025) will be held. An exhibition is not just a stage for brands to showcase their new products and technologies; it also provides insight into the future competitive landscape of the home appliance industry and the development path of brands.

At AWE2025, Hitachi Appliances showcased its upgraded range of new products, covering home appliances, air customization systems, and multifunctional small appliances. This is a concrete embodiment of Hitachi Appliances' "The Art of Ease" lifestyle concept and highlights the core development direction of Hitachi Appliances under the new competitive landscape.

Stock-driven industry development

At present, the home appliance industry has entered a new cycle of updates and replacements, gradually transitioning from an "incremental era" to a stage where "incremental and stockpiling coexist." The focus of competition in the home appliance industry has shifted from price and cost-performance to quality, functionality, and value, posing higher requirements for technological innovation, product upgrades, and the precise understanding of consumer needs by major home appliance brands.

"The entire industry is shifting from 'function competition' to 'reshaping the value of living spaces,' " summarizes Yang Bukè, General Manager of Arçelik Hitachi Home Appliances (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., regarding the current situation in China's home appliance sector.

From this, we can also interpret Hitachi's philosophy of upgrading and innovating its home appliances, which emphasizes not only the enhancement of product functionality but also the focus on how to optimize home space layout and improve living quality through intelligent, embedded, and integrated design.

Yang Buke, General Manager, emphasized: "Hitachi Home Appliances is committed to the craftsmanship spirit of 'driving every household toward a sustainable lifestyle.' With science and technology innovation as the core driver, we aim to deliver a superior living experience for our consumers."

This development concept is fully reflected in Hitachi Appliances' exhibits. Leveraging its profound technological expertise and understanding of user needs, Hitachi Appliances has built a product ecosystem that covers multiple home life scenarios, establishing a differentiated advantage in the highly competitive high-end home appliance market.

From Function to Aesthetics

In a market dominated by update demands, the core of refrigerator product upgrades and industry competition revolves around diversified needs such as freshness preservation, energy efficiency, full integration, large capacity, and refined classification. The functions of refrigerators have also changed, transforming from cold metal boxes to health and quality life stewards, becoming active participants in the reconstruction of space value.

Hitachi refrigerators, with their profound brand heritage, keenly understand user needs and are committed to innovative product development. Through diverse innovations in home aesthetics and product functionality, they cater to consumers' expectations for a life of comfort and enjoyment.

The Japanese original GX series refrigerator R-GWC670TC is one of the representative products of Hitachi refrigerators. With a slim profile of just 654mm, the 670TC integrates seamlessly into kitchen cabinetry, offering a storage capacity of 670 liters, invisibly expanding kitchen space and providing more flexibility in kitchen layout design.

At the same time, the 670TC is equipped with vacuum* sub-zero fresh-keeping technology and a moist low-temperature refrigeration zone, making it more convenient and flexible to store different ingredients while keeping them fresher for longer. The new-generation vacuum* sub-zero fresh-keeping technology creates an independent sealed space, eliminating the need for complex packaging of ingredients, effectively inhibiting food oxidation and locking in nutrients. The moist low-temperature refrigeration zone provides a low-temperature, high-humidity environment, reducing nutrient loss in ingredients and creating healthier dietary conditions for modern households.

The new embedded refrigerator model set to go on sale was also showcased at the exhibition, including new versions of cross-door four-door, French-style four-door, and five-door refrigerators. The secret to the new refrigerators lies in their 599MM depth design, which aligns perfectly with kitchen cabinets; and their 0.4CM edgeless fitting technology, reducing the gap between the refrigerator and the cabinet to create a more harmonious and unified home space. At the same time, the new embedded refrigerators feature a 90-degree large-opening design and bottom heat dissipation system, allowing for easier use and efficient operation even within limited spaces.

In terms of internal features, the new built-in refrigerator is equipped with adjustable temperature zones, reinforced glass shelves, additional cosmetic storage boxes, and fruit and vegetable storage boxes. Its flexible and diverse fresh storage modes bring a more convenient and efficient food storage experience to modern households.

Multiple refrigerator models have gathered Hitachi's decades of accumulation in the refrigeration field, focusing on diversified upgrades in long-term preservation, large-capacity storage, and home harmony. The continuous enhancement of Hitachi's refrigerator product competitiveness has positioned it at the forefront of user upgrades and industry structural advancements.

Washing and Cleaning

The washing machine industry is at a critical juncture of product deconstruction, driven by both technological advancements and consumer upgrades. Industry competition has shifted from mere price wars to a comprehensive contest of technology, quality, experience, and aesthetics. Users' demands for garment cleaning have also become more complex, encompassing washing, drying, and care, all of which are propelling the washing machine industry into an accelerated phase of upgrading and innovation.

Hitachi home appliances have insight into this, making a brand-new upgrade in the washing and care field around health, cleanliness, intelligence, and garment protection. At the AWE exhibition, we saw that fresh terms such as Niagara and Steam Wave were transformed into technological achievements on Hitachi washing machines, turning into powerful washing and drying functions.

Hitachi's [Steam Wave] washing and drying set made its debut in the center stage of the washing machine display area. In terms of washing, the [Steam Wave] washing machine is equipped with a gentle waterfall washing function and a newly designed lifting rib, which increases the water flow to ensure that the clothes are thoroughly mixed with the detergent. This allows for a cleaner washing effect without the need for long washing cycles, thereby avoiding damage to the clothes during the washing process. Additionally, the steam function can smooth out wrinkles that are often unavoidable during washing, making clothes soft and comfortable. Moreover, the [Steam Wave] washing machine features intelligent sensing capabilities, which can automatically adjust the washing program based on the weight and material of the clothes, enhancing the washing effect while also being energy-efficient.

The [Steam Wave] dryer provides meticulous care for clothes, effectively reducing wrinkles and shortening the ironing time required. The smart drying system can sense the moisture level in the clothes and automatically adjust the drying intensity, avoiding excessive drying that could damage the garments while ensuring thorough drying, thereby extending the lifespan of the clothing.

Notably, the Hitachi Steamwave wash-dry-protect set stood out with its simple yet tech-savvy design and its performance in health care washing and energy-saving efficiency, earning it the 2025 AWE Appliance & Electronics World Expo Innovation Award.

In terms of a healthy and clean lifestyle, Hitachi home appliances has also introduced the new wet and dry vacuum mop PV-XHW4PCGACN, which features 225AW strong suction power, a weight of 1.95 kilograms, LED lighting technology, a 90° rotating nozzle, automatic driving design, self-cleaning function, and one-button cleaning design, all combining efficiency with convenience and comfort.

At AWE2025, Hitachi Home Appliances showcased its innovative product lineup covering multiple areas of life, including food ingredient handling, garment care, and home cleaning. This demonstrates the company's deep understanding of consumer needs and its ongoing exploration of technological innovation. These products not only reflect Hitachi's commitment to enhancing user convenience, health, and comfort but also mirror the home appliance industry's trend towards greater personalization, health focus, comfort, and intelligence.

It is certain that the home appliance market's stock foundation remains unchanged, and with the normalization of national subsidies, the refrigerator and washing machine industry will maintain a development model driven by structural, technological, and scenario upgrades. Through continuous innovation, they will create incremental growth. Hitachi Home Appliances focuses on the core needs of users, adheres to the spirit of craftsmanship to build product advantages, seeks growth within the existing stock, and opens up new market space through the development of new features and even new categories. Clearly, Hitachi Home Appliances is forging its growth path in the new cycle.