The results of a latest investigation conducted by China Industrial Information Issuing Centre (CIIIC) show that China's major consumer goods market maintained a rapid growth trend in 2008, with average price increasing obviously, the competitive edge of famous brands enhanced and the rate of concentration of brands increased.
   
Market monitoring of more than 80 consumer goods shows that sales volume of most commodities has grown. To be specific, sales volume of household electrical appliances grew 7.81% in 2008; that of food, 30.37%; that of daily-use articles, 35.18%; and that of cultural and office articles, 33.56%. Of household electrical appliances, sales volume of small ones outgrew the big ones. In terms of sales volume, electrical heater, electric iron, electric blower, electric kettle, and electromagnetic oven rank among the top places.

The market share for the top 10 brands on China's consumer goods market reached 68.33% in 2008, 3.19 percentage points higher than in 2007, which shows that the competitiveness of famous and quality brands has been enhanced further. By variety, the rate of market concentration of household electrical appliances remained high, and it is followed by daily-use chemical products, cultural and office articles, food, and garments.

The market share of the Top 10 brands of household electrical appliances in terms of sales volume reached 79.24% in 2008, 0.58 percentage points higher than in 2007. To be specific, the market share of the Top 10 brands of freezers reached 98.92%; that of colour TV sets, washing machines and refrigerators exceeded 80%; that of electromagnetic ovens, 82.36%, followed by bathing radiators with the Top 10 brands grabbing a market share of 80%; that of gas-fuelled water heater, electric pressure boiler and electric cooker exceeded 70%; and that of gas oven, electric range and electric kettle, less than 60%. For small household electrical appliances, the market share of the Top 10 brands of electric shaver and drinking water machine exceeded 90%; that of electric fan, dust arrestors and electric blower, 80%; and that of electric iron, less than 80%.

On the cultural and office articles market, the market share of the Top 10 brands of printers and facsimile machines exceeded 90%; that of outside-use articles, battery charger, and special cells for digital products, over 70%; and that of body-building apparatus, only 32.5%.

The investigation also shows that of the market share of the Top 10 brands of consumer goods in terms of sales volume, local famous and quality brands made up 64.39%, 3.35 percentage points lower than in 2007. This shows that penetration of foreign brands into the Chinese market has never stopped, but local brands still have obvious local advantages.

Li Yan