From a global perspective, the stainless steel kitchenware market also has its own characteristics depending on factors such as economic development and lifestyle habits in different regions. How to cope with these changes is an important issue faced by stainless steel kitchenware enterprises in China. According to statistics from the China Hardware Products Association, the sales revenue reached 7.984 billion yuan in 2010, and it is expected that by 2015, the sales revenue of stainless steel kitchenware in China will reach 20.444 billion yuan.

There are many types of stainless steel kitchenware products, and the growth momentum of various products is good

At present, the domestic stainless steel kitchenware market presents the following characteristics: China's stainless steel kitchenware industry has gradually developed since the early 1990s. The industrial transfer has played an important role in promoting the development of the domestic stainless steel kitchenware market, while also promoting the continuous expansion of the scale, number, and technological level of domestic enterprises. The product quality positioning of the high-end market is high, with high added value and high technological content. In the future, the growth rate of the domestic mid to high end market will exceed the industry's average growth rate. Enterprises with high brand awareness and reputation will stand out in the competition. The increase in the number of urban households and the growth of the middle class will further expand people's consumption power, thereby putting forward new requirements for the quantity and quality of consumer goods, bringing huge growth space to the consumer goods industry.

The concentration of brands in the domestic stainless steel kitchenware market is relatively low

In the past 30 years, China's urbanization process has accelerated, and the number of urban households has increased. In the next 20 years, a large number of residents will move into new houses. With the intensification of market competition and the gradual enhancement of consumer brand awareness, brand consumption will be increasingly recognized, and there will be huge development space for domestic brand consumption.

With the continuous increase in labor costs in developed countries, the global stainless steel kitchenware industry has undergone significant adjustments, and its production and manufacturing processes are gradually shifting from developed countries to developing countries. The application of composite materials and new materials is the only way to improve the functionality, increase the variety and specifications of stainless steel kitchenware products in China. According to this growth rate, by 2015, China's exports of stainless steel kitchenware to Europe will reach $2.901 billion. Only by accelerating the widespread application of new materials, improving the quality of our products, and developing high-quality stainless steel kitchenware products can our domestic independent brands maintain a sustainable advantage in the competition of domestic and foreign markets.

In terms of technology in the domestic stainless steel kitchenware industry, there was basically no development before the 1960s and 1990s. Its technology mainly relied on cold stamping, ordinary mold manufacturing, and manual surface treatment, with low technological content.

European market

With the continuous improvement of downstream consumer demand, customers have put forward higher requirements for the overall design of the kitchen field, in order to achieve effective matching of pots, tableware, and other kitchen and kitchen miscellaneous products.

The growth rate of the high-end market in China is significant, and brand competition is gradually reflected

With the progress of residents' income level and the gradual change of consumption concept in our country, stainless steel kitchenware products such as intelligence, multifunctionality, energy conservation and environmental protection are gradually replacing traditional economical and practical kitchenware, which puts forward higher requirements for the technological content of products.

The advancement of automation level and the application of new materials are inevitable trends in the technological development of this industry

Brand is a concentrated reflection of product quality, taste, and functionality. It can be seen that the continuous advancement of industry technology will promote the sustainable development of China's stainless steel kitchenware industry. In addition, consumers' concern for their own health will also improve their requirements for the quality of stainless steel kitchenware products, which will inevitably drive the rapid development and industrial promotion of China's stainless steel kitchenware industry, bringing huge consumption power to the industry.

The transformation of business model will bring strong impetus to the export of Chinese stainless steel kitchenware

In the future, the global stainless steel kitchenware market will continue to expand, and market demand will remain strong, with a compound annual growth rate of over 10%. This will bring good market development opportunities for domestic enterprises. According to the central data of the General Administration of Customs of China, China's exports of stainless steel kitchen utensils to Europe reached 1.166 billion US dollars in 2010, and it is expected to maintain an annual growth rate of 20% in the future. Supporting industries such as raw material production, upstream equipment industry, midstream processing industry, downstream product manufacturing industry, and mold production.

The global stainless steel kitchenware market will continue to expand in size

With the increasing number of domestic stainless steel kitchenware manufacturers, market competition is becoming increasingly fierce. Customers' requirements for product functionality, appearance, and style are constantly rising, and the competitiveness of traditional OEM models is gradually declining in the new market environment. In the future, the variety, specifications, and functions of stainless steel kitchenware products will become increasingly diverse. For manufacturing enterprises, product differentiation and category diversification have become effective ways to enhance their competitiveness.

1. Development status of domestic stainless steel kitchenware industry

According to central data from the General Administration of Customs of China, the export value of stainless steel kitchenware and miscellaneous products in China is classified under the category of 'stainless steel dining tables, kitchens, or other household appliances and their parts', accounting for about 10% of the total export value of stainless steel kitchenware. In 2010, the export value reached 184 million US dollars. The continuous expansion of stainless steel kitchenware exports has not only increased foreign exchange earnings, but also driven the development of related industries. The mid-range market will attract a large number of brands, numerous manufacturers, and fierce competition; The low-end market is mainly dominated by miscellaneous brands, mostly produced by small businesses. In recent years, guided by national industrial policies, domestic enterprises have gradually phased out outdated equipment, increased their efforts in technology research and development, and introduced advanced production and manufacturing processes.

According to the central data of the General Administration of Customs of China, the export of stainless steel kitchenware from China to Asian countries was about 864 million US dollars in 2010, with a compound annual growth rate of over 20%. It is expected that by 2015, China's export of stainless steel kitchenware to Asia will reach 2.15 billion US dollars. Meanwhile, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, the per capita disposable income of urban residents in China reached 11759 yuan in 2006 and 19109 yuan in 2010. In addition, domestic enterprises will actively build their own brands to compete in overseas markets. Nowadays, the production technology of domestic enterprises has become increasingly mature, product quality has gradually improved, OEM/ODM contract manufacturing cooperation relationships are relatively stable, and labor costs are relatively low.

The development of urbanization in China and the improvement of residents' income levels are driving the consumption of stainless steel kitchenware to a higher level

There are various types of stainless steel kitchenware products, including pots, kettles, basins, plates, barrels, boxes, bowls, shovels, spoons, knives, forks, spoons, clamps, etc. According to their functions, they can be roughly divided into three categories: stainless steel cookware, stainless steel tableware, and stainless steel kitchen miscellaneous products.

North American market

The North American market is the main region for the export of stainless steel kitchenware products in China. According to data from the Information Center of the General Administration of Customs of China, China's exports of stainless steel kitchenware to North America reached 802 million US dollars in 2010, and it is expected to maintain a growth rate of about 30% in the future. By 2015, China's exports of stainless steel kitchenware to North America will reach 2.978 billion US dollars.

Composite materials and new materials with excellent performance will gradually replace traditional materials. According to data from the Information Center of the General Administration of Customs of China, under the category of 'Other kitchen or dining utensils such as spoons, forks, spoons, etc.', in 2010, with the gradual elimination of the impact of the financial crisis, the export value of tableware has exceeded historical highs, reaching 1.402 billion US dollars, an increase of 26.87% compared to 2009. As one of the components of stainless steel kitchenware, the export value of kitchen and miscellaneous products will also maintain a relatively fast growth rate.

2. The development trend of domestic stainless steel kitchenware industry

At present, many products in China are comparable in quality to internationally renowned brands, but due to the lack of brand awareness, they can only hover in the mid to low end market. With the continuous improvement of living standards and the needs of high-income groups, customers will pay more and more attention to product brands. Famous brands at home and abroad will gradually enter the high-end market of stainless steel kitchenware in China, presenting huge development potential. From this, it can be seen that the coexistence of multiple business models will bring strong impetus to China's stainless steel kitchenware exports, and the growth rate of China's stainless steel kitchenware exports will remain above 20% in the future. After entering the 21st century, the export scale has rapidly expanded and has now been exported to more than 100 countries and regions on six continents worldwide, with a continuously increasing market share.

With the continuous application of high-tech in the stainless steel kitchenware industry, automated production will become an inevitable trend in the industry's development, and domestic stainless steel kitchenware enterprises are gradually moving towards automation. Among them, stainless steel cookware is the main product of stainless steel kitchenware, accounting for about 50%. With the gradual enhancement of consumer brand awareness, brand has become an important influencing factor in consumer decision-making and planning. Nowadays, domestic enterprises are gradually involved in product design and development, and their business models are gradually transitioning towards ODM models.

Since the 1990s, a large number of domestic enterprises have been producing OEM products for foreign companies through the OEM model, which can only earn low processing costs and lower profit margins. Consumers' demand for stainless steel kitchenware products is increasing day by day, and their considerations are not only about the functionality of kitchenware, but also about its convenience, intelligence, and aesthetics, which have become important factors of concern for consumers. Chinese kitchenware enterprises have been engaged in OEM/ODM production for developed countries for many years, constantly exploring and researching in production. They have accumulated corresponding technologies in materials, processes, testing and other fields, and the gap with international standards is gradually narrowing. For the high-end market of stainless steel kitchenware, the entry of well-known brands at home and abroad has brought great vitality and hope to the development of this market, and its market size will continue to expand. In 2010, the total export value reached 1.841 billion US dollars, an increase of 30.66% compared to 2009. At the same time, driven by the development of the domestic economy and the transformation of residents' consumption concepts, consumers will pay more attention to stainless steel kitchenware brands and their differentiated features. Their products have the characteristics of developing towards intelligence, personalization, and diversified functions. As an emerging developing country, China relies on human capital and manufacturing capabilities to attract internationally renowned stainless steel kitchenware enterprises to invest and build factories in China. With the continuous deepening of understanding of overseas markets, domestic enterprises will gradually transform from ODM mode to MDM mode. Through value analysis of exporting country consumers, they will intervene in the planning process of brand merchants' target consumer groups, channels, functions, prices and other elements of products, and carry out product development and manufacturing; Or adopt the EAS model of product agency sales, providing services including distribution, logistics, after-sales, etc., to increase product added value.

At present, the high-end market is mostly occupied by internationally renowned brands, but there has not yet been a situation where one or a few companies monopolize this market. The brand format of the domestic stainless steel kitchenware market is significantly divided into high-end, mid to high end, mid-range, and low-end markets.