AI home appliances take center stage in China's Golden Week as traditional sales slump
AVC forecast falling sales for refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners during the Golden Week holiday, against a broader market that shrank 9.7% year on year to 547.7 billion yuan in January–August, with full-year retail expected to fall 7.6% to 825 billion yuan. AI appliances bucked the trend: Suning said core-store footfall rose 50% and AI smart appliance sales more than 40% during the holiday, with AI products topping 70% of its sales for the first time, while JD MALL's smart-appliance sales share reached 60%. The article also notes consumer complaints about gimmicky AI features, and that Samsung's Bespoke AI refrigerator stopped cooling after a system update.
Home appliances are one of the most direct routes for AI into ordinary households, but the piece warns that consumers will not pay a premium if AI features undermine basic functions like cooling.