At this year's Two Sessions, smog control was included in the government work report. Premier Li Keqiang stated that heavy measures will be taken to strengthen pollution prevention and control, and a resolute war on pollution will be declared. Faced with Chinese consumers' huge "demand" for clean air and a blue ocean market with almost zero market share, many enterprises have entered the air purifier market to "dig for gold," including those making mice, shredders, massage chairs... At the same time, due to the lack of mandatory national standards, market chaos such as false advertising, fake testing, and OEM sales is rampant.

 

　　Nearly 200 air purifier brands

 

　　The lingering smog has stimulated explosive growth in the air purifier market. It is understood that there are currently nearly 200 monitored air purifier brands, and many more unmonitored ones. Industry insiders say that due to the lack of national standards, problems such as false advertising, high-price sales, and fake testing continue to occur in the market.

 

　　The Beijing News reporter learned that multiple agencies, including the Beijing Municipal Administration for Industry and Commerce, are intervening in regulation. A person in charge of Yuanda Air Purification Technology told the Beijing News that relevant Chinese departments are developing standards for PM2.5 removal by air purification products, testing more than 50 brands, which may be announced in May next year. In addition, new national standards are also being formulated and are expected to be released by the end of the year.

 

　　"In 2011, air purifiers first emerged in Beijing. At that time, the US Embassy reported off-the-charts PM2.5 levels, and the media immediately launched large-scale coverage. From then on, purifiers caught the public's eye, and people learned about smog. Also from then on, purifiers of various brands emerged accordingly," said a person in charge of Yuanda Air Purification Technology Co., Ltd. to the Beijing News reporter.

 

　　Because of "smog," air purifiers became "hot" overnight. All View Consulting e-commerce monitoring data shows that in December 2012, air purifier sales were only 120 million yuan, while in December 2013 this figure surged to 610 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.1 times.

 

　　In the offline market, sales in December 2012 reached 210 million yuan, and by December 2013, this figure had become 1.0 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of about 4.8 times.

 

　　At the Shanghai Home Expo on March 18, air purifier appliances were featured in a separate hall for the first time, becoming a highlight of the exhibition. Companies such as Hisense, Sanyo, Haier, and LG all released new air purifier products.

 

　　An industry insider said that precisely because they see the "hotness" of air purifiers, now even those making mice, shredders, and massage chairs are also making air purifiers.

 

　　Su Liang, brand director of All View Consulting, told the Beijing News reporter that currently there are nearly 200 monitorable air purifier brands on the market, and many more unmonitorable ones.

 

　　Large market and high gross margins attract enterprises

 

　　Why are enterprises rushing to make air purifiers? Higher gross margins and a huge market are the two temptations.

 

　　A domestic air purifier manufacturer calculated a "cost" account for the Beijing News reporter: the cost composition of most air purifiers on the market includes internal components and mold investment for a certain model. The mold investment for one unit is about 1 million yuan. When the sales volume of a certain model reaches 10,000 units, the mold cost allocated to each machine is 100 yuan. The internal components mainly include filter elements, filter screens, activated carbon nets, and shells, which add up to just a few hundred yuan. "So, for products priced above 2,000 yuan, the cost price is basically around 1,000 yuan. The higher the price, the higher the gross margin."

 

　　The reporter learned that the current market price of air purifier products generally exceeds 1,000 yuan, with some products reaching over 10,000 yuan. CMM data shows that the average market price in 2012 was 2,653 yuan, and in 2013 it was 2,913 yuan, an increase of about 10%.

 

　　All View Consulting data shows that the market size of air purifiers in 2013 was about 12 billion yuan, and it is expected to exceed 20 billion yuan in 2014 and over 150 billion yuan by 2020.

 

　　Lack of mandatory national standards leads to market chaos

 

　　Huge consumer demand has driven the rapid growth of China's air purifier market, but behind the rapid growth, the lack of mandatory national standards has also led to a somewhat chaotic market.

 

　　Among them, false advertising is the biggest problem in the air purifier industry. Song Guangsheng, director of the National Indoor Environment and Indoor Environmental Protection Product Quality Supervision and Inspection Center, told the Beijing News reporter that currently various departments do not strictly supervise the air purifier industry, and advertising is controlled by manufacturers. Manufacturers may use the data indicators of one model to replace all models, or use the best data indicators among several machines to represent all products, misleading consumers.

 

　　There are also problems in testing. Song Guangsheng said that China's current national standard for air purifiers is a recommended standard, not mandatory, so the state will not conduct mandatory testing of enterprise products. When enterprises voluntarily submit products for testing, they may substitute products of other brands, or the internal materials of the submitted products may be the best selected.

 

　　"Testing units are also relatively chaotic. The national standard requires air purifier testing to be conducted in a 30-cubic-meter environmental chamber, but some indoor air testing institutions do not have environmental chambers and conduct tests in rooms. At the same time, there can be discrepancies in experimental conditions. For example, some enterprises conduct tests in a standard 30-cubic-meter environment, but some do it in a 10-cubic-meter or even 1-cubic-meter environment. Whether the test results are convincing is imaginable," Song Guangsheng told the reporter.

 

　　The reporter also found that in China's increasingly rising air purification market, the better-selling products are mostly foreign brands. For example, on JD.com, the top three brands by sales are Sharp, Philips, and Blueair. "Foreign brands with the same functions are at least 1,000 yuan more expensive than domestic brands," a sales guide at a store told the Beijing News reporter.

 

　　CMM survey data also shows that in the air purifier market, foreign brands occupy more than 80% of the market share. An industry insider told the Beijing News reporter that from the development of air purifiers, foreign brands have a longer history than domestic brands, giving consumers a "first impression" brand impression and high-price orientation. But in fact, the technology and materials used by various manufacturers are similar. Functionally, some foreign brands are developed based on adapting to foreign air environments and may not necessarily adapt to China's unique complex air environment.

 

　　In addition to high-price orientation, there is another extreme in the market. Su Liang, brand director of All View Consulting, said that some enterprises purchase core components for assembly and sell under their own brands. Among air purifier products below 1,000 yuan, many have similar appearances. At a glance, one can tell they are air purifiers, but there is no obvious brand recognition. These enterprises all have the mentality of making a quick profit and leaving.

 

　　However, the above situation is improving. Chen Xitong, spokesperson for the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, recently stated that the draft revision of the new national standard for air purifiers has been formed, adding test methods for formaldehyde and benzene, as well as calculation methods for applicable area and purification efficiency, and is expected to be released by the end of this year.

 

　　■ Shopping Guide

 

　　"Applicable area" VS "Clean air delivery rate"

 

　　"Applicable area" is one of the most frequently asked indicators by consumers when purchasing air purifiers, and many manufacturer salespeople are also happy to recommend products with "large applicable area." However, experts point out that compared with applicable area, clean air delivery rate is the key indicator to measure the quality level of the product.

 

　　Experts believe that the applicable area is not a value that can be determined by simple calculation, or even a constant value; it will change at any time as the use environment and conditions change. In particular, the international formula for calculating the applicable area of air purifiers is not suitable for China's current national conditions.

 

　　Clean air delivery rate refers to the volume of clean air produced by the purifier per unit time. Song Guangsheng, director of the National Indoor Environment and Indoor Environmental Protection Product Quality Supervision and Inspection Center, suggests that for home use, generally a clean air delivery rate above 150 is better; below 150, the effect will be discounted; below 100, the effect is very poor.

 

　　Song Guangsheng suggests that when using an air purifier, it is best not to place it against the wall, not too close to people. If conditions permit, choose a machine with 360-degree air intake. It is best to place it in the center of the room. If it cannot be placed in the middle, it is best to keep it at least 1.5 meters away from the wall and at a certain distance from people, because the air around the purifier is flowing and relatively dirty.