In 2008, joint family World Network Home Appliances Channel of Electrical Appliances magazine conducted a consumer questionnaire survey on household water purification products and water purification systems. The survey results show that only 3 1.58% people know about household water purification products and water purification systems. Most consumers are confused about the terms water softener, water purifier, water purifier or direct drinking machine, and do not know much about the functions, effects and prices of such products. However, more than 75% people think that it is necessary to install and use household water purification products and water purification systems under the current living conditions.
This contradictory situation has obviously affected the development of domestic water purification products market. A product that has been researched and developed in China for more than ten years still cannot be popularized. Why? What problems have industrial development encountered? The reporter of "Electrical Appliances" investigated this. Product technology tends to be mature.
The reporter of "Electrical Appliances" noticed that, unlike other household appliances, even household water purification products are varied due to different principles and methods of water purification.
In principle, at present, domestic water purifiers and water purification systems mainly include chemical replacement principle and physical membrane principle. Products based on chemical replacement principle, such as water softener, soften water by replacing calcium and magnesium ions in water with industrial salt and resin, and the softened tap water can be used for electric appliances such as water heaters or other purposes, which is beneficial to human health and the service life of electric appliances; Products using physical membrane principle, such as water purifiers, water purifiers, etc., use ultrafiltration membrane, reverse osmosis membrane (RO membrane) and PP cotton to filter out impurities in water.
According to Cao Gang, general manager of Midea clear lake Water Purification Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Midea clear lake), among the purification technologies based on these physical membrane principles, ultrafiltration membrane and reverse osmosis membrane (RO membrane) are highly recognized in the market. Ultrafiltration membrane has a small pore size, which can remove bacteria and microorganisms in water, but can not remove metal ions; Reverse osmosis membrane (RO membrane) has the highest precision, which can completely remove bacteria, microorganisms and metal ions. The produced water can be directly drunk, but a large amount of wastewater will be produced in the process of producing water, which is high in energy consumption. It is understood that reverse osmosis membrane (RO membrane) generally produces 1L purified water, which may produce 3L wastewater, which is also a difficult problem to be solved in domestic and foreign industries at present. However, other purification methods, such as microfiltration membrane (MF membrane), activated carbon /PP cotton or ore, have relatively poor purification effects.
Zhang Xudong, Marketing Manager of Nanjing Hongbi Technology Development Co., Ltd., introduced the names of main household water purification products on the market at present, including water purifier (direct drinking machine), water softener, ultrafiltration machine, filter, microfiltration machine and functional water purifier (cup). The core technologies of these products are different, some are used alone, and some are used in combination (see table 1). It is understood that because the reverse osmosis membrane (RO membrane) will filter out all metal ions, it is still controversial whether this pure water has an impact on human health. Midea's clear lake said that it has consulted industry experts on relevant issues. Experts believe that water contains calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc and other substances beneficial to human body, but the amount of these substances absorbed by human body through drinking water only accounts for 6% of the total absorption, and these substances usually exist in water in the form of bivalent or trivalent, which is not easy to be absorbed by human body. Cao Gang said: "At present, industrial pollution is serious, and water contains many trace elements harmful to human body, including lead, manganese, chromium, mercury and copper, so reverse osmosis membrane (RO membrane) technology is still very promising."
In addition to the diversification of names and technologies, the complexity of installation is a major feature of household water purifiers and water purification systems. It is understood that the installation of general water softener and kitchen water purification system is relatively simple at present. As long as there is enough space under the kitchen basin or cupboard and power supply, it can be installed and used smoothly without affecting the decoration. But if the system is more complex,
For example, the special water softener for water heaters, the direct drinking water purifier in the kitchen, and several heatable direct drinking machine terminals, especially some families want the direct drinking machine terminals to be installed in the living room and bedroom, so the tap water pipes must be arranged when decorating, otherwise there may be exposed pipes in the bedroom.
Cao Gang believes that more and more families will choose household water purifiers and water purification systems in the future. If the whole family water purification system can be designed well before decoration, the use effect of this product will be enhanced. "Now there are many decoration companies in Wenzhou. Arrange these pipes for residents in advance and install them when users want to buy water purification systems." Cao Gang said.
The market scale is increasing year by year.
The diversity of products and the complexity of installation and use make the awareness of household water purification products always low, which also obviously affects the market popularization.
Statistics show that in Europe, America, Japan and South Korea and other countries, the penetration rate of household water purification systems has exceeded 80%; In China, the penetration rate of urban household water purification system is less than 1%, and even in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, the household ownership rate is less than 15%.
"At present, the market capacity of household water purification products is only 500,000 units, and the sales volume is about 654.38 billion yuan. In my opinion, such a market scale has just begun, and there is still much room for development in the future. " Cao Gang calculated such an account for the reporter. "If 10% of the 200 million urban and rural families in China use household water purification products or water purification systems, according to the current average price of 2,000 yuan, the market scale will be 20 billion yuan."
Seeing this market prospect, in 2006, when Midea set up a joint venture with Korean clear lake Company, Cao just volunteered to take charge of the development of household water purification products industry, hoping to make great efforts in this field. The sales performance of Midea's household water purification system in clear lake also confirmed his idea. "In 2008, our household water purification products sold 6.5438+0.4 million units, with sales of about 6.5438+0.65438+0 billion yuan; In 2009, the sales volume is expected to reach 300,000 units, with a sales volume of 220 million yuan, with a growth rate of 100%. " Cao Gang said with confidence.
In 2007, the country issued a new hygienic standard for drinking water, and the water quality index increased from more than 30 to more than 100, which aroused consumers' concern about drinking water safety. "This makes consumers pay more attention to household water purification products, which in turn promotes the growth of the market scale of such products. In 2008, the sales of Qinyuan water purification products reached 80 million yuan. " Zhao Jing of Ningbo Qinyuan Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd. said.
With the growth of market scale, the prices of household water purification products and water purification systems are decreasing year by year. According to Cao Gang, "in 2008, the average unit price of clear lake products in the United States was around 1.020 yuan, and in 2009 it was in 870 yuan, and the overall price reduction was close to 30%." Cao Gang said.
At the same time, insiders pointed out that the current sales of household water purification products mainly face the primary and secondary markets, and the expansion of the future market scale depends on the in-depth development of the market. Cui Yifan of Rum Electric Group said that the main sales channels of household water purification products are building materials supermarkets and home appliance chain stores. In addition, direct sales, cooperative sales with home improvement companies, and group purchases also occupy a certain share. "In order to gain a larger market share, in addition to the current target market, we need to expand to a broader third-and fourth-tier market, especially in some areas with poor water quality." Cui Yifan said. At the same time, he also believes that products should be of high quality and low price in design and development, which is easy to popularize; In marketing, channel classification and regional operation are refined to achieve market segmentation.
Many water purification products companies are extremely concerned about the household appliances being promoted by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Commerce, and are eager to include household water purifier products in them in the future. "Home appliances going to the countryside may be a good opportunity to bring this product to the third-and fourth-tier markets. The poor water conditions in the vast rural areas and some remote areas are shocking. These areas need water purification products more than cities. " Tang Huaiyu said.
The quality of products is uneven.
Attracted by the huge market space, more and more operators flock to the household water purification products industry. Almost all well-known enterprises in Midea, Qinyuan, Angel, Rum and water dispensers have entered the water purification product market. South Korea's largest manufacturer of environmentally-friendly household appliances, Jinxiong Hao Wei, officially entered China in June 2006, and in May 2008, it officially acquired Han Shi, a famous domestic brand of drinking fountains, and made great achievements in China's domestic water purification products market, but at present its products are mainly positioned at the high end.
However, the vast majority of this industry is small and medium-sized enterprises or even workshop-style small factories, and the "three noes" products without brand, after-sales service and quality assurance are flooding the domestic water purification product market.
It is understood that at present, there are more than 1000 water purification products manufacturers approved by the Ministry of Health, but there are few brands and enterprises with scale, and even fewer enterprises with technical development strength. Many enterprises rely on assembly, counterfeiting and other production methods, and the enterprise standards are extremely irregular, and there is no unified industry standard. This situation leads to uneven product quality, fake and shoddy products flooding the market, affecting consumers' trust in the whole industry. It is understood that there are more than 1 000 enterprises producing drinking fountains, water purifiers and water treatment equipment in Cixi, Zhejiang, and more than 3,000 such enterprises in Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
Hangzhou Smart Electric Appliance Co., Ltd. moved into the new factory building in Cixi on June 5438+ 10, 2009. Cheng Zhangping, the marketing manager of the company, told the reporter of Electrical Appliances that the ex-factory price of water purification products ranges from 50 yuan to thousands of yuan, and the quality of products in 50 yuan can be imagined. The effluent quality of household water purification products in many small enterprises is very poor. Inferior household water purification products are usually sold through wholesale markets and third-and fourth-tier markets.
Zhang Xudong told the reporter of Electrical Appliances that most manufacturers engaged in water purification products are weak, and a large part of them are speculators, who want to make a fortune and leave. Few enterprises are willing to invest in product research and development, marketing and consumer guide on a large scale.
On June 5438+ 10, 2009, Shuaikang announced its entry into the field of household water purification products. "It will probably become a new product trend to embed water purification products into cabinets and form a home integrated water supply device together with kitchen appliances, so that they can be sold together with cabinets and add new selling points." Zhao Jing said. According to industry insiders, the entry of well-known kitchen appliances enterprises will increase consumers' choices, make the water purification products industry increase popular professional brands, and break the unfavorable situation that consumers have low awareness of water purification products.
After-sales service has become a bottleneck.
In order to enhance consumers' awareness of household water purification products, in recent years, mainstream enterprises in the household water purification products industry began to increase publicity. In 2008, Midea's clear lake cooperated with Phoenix Satellite TV to produce a program, Rivers, Lakes and Seas in China, which reported the water pollution problems of rivers, lakes and seas in China, causing widespread concern. Midea's clear lake also promoted its national tour products while the program was broadcast. "In 2009, we will further strengthen product promotion, cooperate with more retail systems, accelerate the entry of retail systems, and let more consumers contact and understand this product." Cao Gang said.
However, the problem of low awareness is not the biggest problem facing the promotion of household water purification products. Many people in the industry believe that the real reason why the household water purification products industry has developed for more than ten years but is still in the market introduction period should be the after-sales service.
"The performance of environmental protection electrical products such as water purifiers, air purifiers, smart toilets and water softeners is mainly determined by filter elements." Cao Jingxian, president and CEO of Jinxiong Hao Wei Commodity (China) Co., Ltd., once told the reporter of Electrical Appliances. He said that these products need regular maintenance and replacement of filter elements in order to play their normal performance. According to reports, the reverse osmosis membrane (RO membrane) generally needs to be replaced once a year/kloc-0, and other filter elements need to be replaced once every six months if the water quality is not good. Although the after-sales service of the water softener is not as complicated as that of the pure water purifier, it needs to be designed and installed at home when it is sold, and the salt tank needs to be replenished regularly, which requires the professional personnel of the manufacturer to be responsible for maintenance. If this maintenance work is not in place, the use effect of household water purification products will be greatly affected.
Cao Gang also said: "The key to the promotion of household water purification products is that after-sales service must be in place. We advocate replacing the filter element every four to six months. If it is not replaced in time, bacteria will grow on the surface of the filter element. But in this respect, many small enterprises can't do well. In this way, after consumers use the product, no one will change the filter regularly, and they will feel cheated and will not use this product again. "
After investigating the market of water purification products, some enterprises found that as many as 72% of users who have installed household water purification products for more than 3 years have stopped using them, switched to bottled water and even started boiling water again. The reason is that the after-sales service of water purification products is not in place, which makes consumers' confidence in continuing to use such products waver.
"Household water purification products are semi-finished products like air conditioners, and their after-sales service is an important part of product sales. Which manufacturer can gain more market share with good after-sales service. " Cheng Zhangping said.
According to the reporter of Electrical Appliances, Jin Xiong Hao Wei adopted a unique marketing model-rental sales model in South Korea, which they called "Cody" service system. Consumers pay monthly rent to use the products of Jinxiong Hao Wei Company. During the lease period, the ownership of the products belongs to Jinxiong Hao Wei Company, and the ownership of the products can be transferred to customers after the lease period expires. During the lease period, Jin Xiong Hao Wei's pre-sales and after-sales service team, composed of female service personnel with professional knowledge, provides customers with free consultation services such as filter replacement and product update for environmental protection electrical products such as water purifiers, air purifiers, smart toilets and water softeners. This marketing model was founded by Jin Xiong Hao Wei in Korea 1998, which is also an important reason for his success in Korea. However, this marketing model has not achieved ideal results since it was introduced to China in 2006.
"The main reason may still be cost." Zhang Xudong thinks. According to his analysis: "If a PP cotton whose cost is not more than 5 yuan's money needs to be replaced, in addition to the material cost, the dealer also needs to pay the service personnel's salary, communication, transportation, meal supplement and so on. It is difficult to recover the cost of after-sales service according to the current industry's usual charge level for each door-to-door service (around 20 yuan). In addition, replacing a filter element usually requires an appointment two or three days in advance, which makes many consumers feel troublesome. "
There is no unified industry standard or national standard, which also brings difficulties to the after-sales service of water purification products. Because the specifications of filter elements of various enterprises are not uniform and the interchangeability is poor, even the filter elements of the same material. So once you buy a brand of water purification products, you can only find the same brand manufacturer to replace the filter element. This will make many consumers worry that expensive water purification products will lose their effectiveness if enterprises close down, change careers or stop producing such filter elements. In addition, if the price of filter element is too high, it will lead to uncontrollable secondary consumption cost.
The four national standards go hand in hand.
"In 2008, the National Household Appliance Standardization Technical Committee entrusted us to work with Qinyuan and other enterprises to jointly promote the drafting of four national standards for household water purification equipment. Among them, the national standard of ultrafiltration membrane water purifier and the national standard of reverse osmosis water purifier drafted by us as the team leader have entered the approval stage. " Cao Gang proudly told the reporter of Electrics.
According to Cao Gang, there are many national standards for ultrafiltration membrane water purifiers and reverse osmosis water purifiers.