Smart Home: Leading a New Trend in Home Appliance Consumption

In recent years, with the rapid development of technologies such as 5G and artificial intelligence, various smart devices have gradually entered ordinary people’s homes, not only improving our quality of life but also strongly boosting consumption. For young people, the main consumers of smart homes, “whole-house intelligence” is replacing “single-product intelligence” as the new consumption trend. What does your ideal home look like? After a long day at work, the door lock recognizes your face and gently opens the door to greet you; stepping into the entryway, soft lights automatically turn on; the robot vacuum cleaner has already cleaned the house, and the air conditioner has long been set to the most comfortable temperature. Sit down, have a cup of coffee, play with your cat, read a book, and all your fatigue disappears. Afeng is a freelance photographer who bought his own house in Beijing last May and chose whole-house intelligence during the renovation. There are about 100 smart devices in the house. When I’m working, I don’t need to worry about the floors; the robot vacuum cleaner does it all. In winter, I don’t need to open the windows, allowing for air exchange and making life more comfortable. Lights don’t need to be switched on and off frequently; sometimes forgetting to turn them off wastes electricity. For Afeng, smart home appliances bring him immense comfort, which directly influences his spending habits. Afeng says that he actively seeks out essential home appliances to see if they are smart. For example, a smart fish tank that doesn’t require feeding is very appealing to him, so he’ll buy one for his home. Afeng represents a common consumer attitude among many young people towards smart homes and appliances. The “2025 Young People’s Smart Living Trends White Paper” shows that online home appliance consumption is showing a clear trend towards younger consumers, with those under 35 years old accounting for nearly 60%. A store manager at a home furnishing store explained that young people are more concerned about whether a product is novel and fun enough, including its appearance and materials, and whether the money spent is worthwhile. An appliance manager at another home furnishing store also noted that all home appliances are now trending towards intelligence and lightweight design. Most customers are willing to pay for the better experience brought by smart homes and smart appliances. Meanwhile, with the deep integration of core technologies such as the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, and the upgrading of young people’s consumption concepts, the smart home industry is evolving from “single-product intelligence” to “whole-house intelligence.” A simple greeting like “Good morning!” can activate more than a dozen devices in the room, including lights, air purifiers, humidifiers, beds, and curtains. With the help of modern technology, the entire room can wake up with you, welcoming a brand new day. The company representative explained that the most natural aspect of smart homes is the interconnection between devices. For example, the curtains might close when the robot vacuum starts cleaning, or the lights might turn on when you enter a certain space—this has always been the core operation of smart homes. With the upgrade of AI and the improvement of cloud and on-device computing power, this future will be very easy and convenient, and will arrive very soon. In recent years, the implementation of policies such as the trade-in program for consumer goods has further stimulated the consumer market for smart home appliances. According to data from the Ministry of Commerce, in 2025, sales of trade-in related goods exceeded 2.6 trillion yuan, benefiting over 360 million people. Among them, over 129 million home appliances were traded in, and over 120 million home renovations and kitchen/bathroom upgrades were completed. Experts point out that China’s home appliance consumer market has entered a new stage of development. The deputy director of the Service Industry Research Office of the Market Economy Research Institute of the Development Research Center of the State Council stated that in recent years, the ownership of various types of household appliances in my country has generally reached a relatively high level of around 100 units per 100 households. This signifies that the previous large-scale, wave-like consumption phase has largely ended, and the future development will focus more on replacing existing stock. On the demand side, there may be a greater shift towards new products, such as those with new functions, new technologies, new experiences, and new brands, indicating a rise in consumer spending in this area.