Quality, Convenience, and Hygiene to Drive Growth in Home Appliances Market in 2026

Source: Business Wire  Date: October 27, 2025

A newly released report by NIQ, a leading global market research firm, has shed light on the key trends set to shape the global small home appliances industry in 2026, with quality, convenience and hygiene emerging as the core drivers of market growth. The long-form industry analysis, spanning over 1200 words, presents a comprehensive overview of the sector’s performance in the first half of 2025, revealing that global dollar sales of small home appliances rose by 4.6% compared to the same period in 2024, while unit sales remained relatively flat with a marginal 1% increase. This divergence between sales value and volume underscores a clear shift in consumer preferences, as more shoppers are willing to pay a premium for products that offer smart convenience, superior energy efficiency and enhanced health and hygiene features.

The report also highlights the growing influence of Chinese small home appliance brands on the global stage, with significant disparities in their growth strategies and market performance. In the first half of 2025, Chinese small domestic appliance (SDA) brands saw their global market share climb to 40.1%, a growth trajectory fueled primarily by continuous product innovation and technological advancements that cater to evolving consumer needs. In contrast, the growth of Chinese major domestic appliance (MDA) brands, which achieved a 23.5% global market share in the same period, was largely driven by competitive pricing strategies that allowed them to capture market share in cost-sensitive regions.

A notable external factor impacting the industry is the implementation of new tariff policies in the United States, where 50% tariffs on “steel equivalents” for major small home appliance imports were introduced in late June 2025. This policy change has created significant cost pressures for overseas brands looking to penetrate the US market, leading to a slowdown in demand for their products as retailers and consumers alike adjust to the higher price points resulting from the tariffs.

On the domestic front in China, trade-in subsidy programs have emerged as a powerful catalyst for market growth, with a NIQ survey covering 24,000 respondents showing that 71% of Chinese consumers have taken advantage of government subsidies to upgrade their home appliances. These programs not only stimulate immediate sales but also drive the replacement of older, less efficient models with newer, more advanced products, aligning with the country’s broader goals of promoting energy conservation and sustainable consumption. As the industry heads into 2026, the report predicts that the focus on quality, convenience and hygiene will continue to intensify, with brands that can effectively integrate these elements into their product offerings poised to gain a competitive edge in the global marketplace.