Greater China suppliers of household and kitchen appliances upgrading products with more functions, intelligent features

Global Sources' China Sourcing Report: Household & Kitchen Appliances reveals trends for added value and new export destinations, though basic models and traditional markets stay strong

HONG KONG, Jan. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ --Greater China suppliers of household and kitchen appliances are enhancing product appeal, by incorporating extra functions and even adding intelligent features to attract more orders. This is according to Global Sources' (Nasdaq: GSOL) China Sourcing Report: Household & Kitchen Appliances (http://www.chinasourcingreports.com/householdkitchenappliances).

The Report covers toasters and toaster ovens, water dispensers, coffee makers, electric kettles, electric cookers, food processors, water heaters, electric fans, vacuum cleaners, electric irons, and air treatment and heating appliances. It shows that suppliers of these products are launching a range of measures to boost competitiveness, including an upmarket shift for higher margins.

Publisher of the Report, Livia Yip, said: "Greater China's household and kitchen appliance suppliers anticipate strong exports in 2011. An overwhelming 98 percent of companies surveyed foresee growth in the year ahead, with 37 percent expecting their overseas sales to rise by more than 20 percent.

"Besides the strengthening demand, surveyed suppliers are optimistic about sales growth, due to steps they are taking to improve product performance. In addition to increasing energy efficiency, they are releasing intelligent models such as robotic vacuum cleaners that navigate the room on their own and electric cookers with microcomputers that enable pressure adjustment automatically."

Export industry caters to full spectrum of buyers

Even with the trend for upscale designs, China Sourcing Report: Household & Kitchen Appliances reveals that some companies are keeping their focus on inexpensive units.

Yip added: "In certain segments, models with only basic functions still make up the bulk of exports. There continues to be sufficient demand for such products. This is the case even in the United States and the EU, although most basic models are now sold to emerging markets such as Southeast Asia and South America."

Despite such diversity, a common thread among surveyed suppliers is that prices are going up, due to higher production costs. In fact, 81 percent of suppliers surveyed chose to increase their prices in recent months. To maintain competitiveness, however, over half of companies limited the increases to 5 percent.

Other trends revealed by China Sourcing Report: Household & Kitchen Appliances include:

• 48% of suppliers see rising labor and material costs as their biggest challenge
• 42% of suppliers are developing multifunction models
• 70% of companies are increasing expenditure, whether to improve operating efficiency, to accelerate design time or to reduce defects

Supplier profiles, price forecasts, and the latest household and kitchen appliances for export

The 177-page China Sourcing Report: Household & Kitchen Appliances provides detailed profiles of 43 suppliers with verified manufacturing and export credentials, plus contact details of 20 more suppliers. It also includes a Product Gallery featuring 195 of the most popular export models, with key specifications and full-color pictures.

The Report's surveys, price trends and supply forecasts aim to help buyers make better-informed purchasing decisions.

Specialized Global Sources websites, face-to-face events, trade magazines and research reports

China Sourcing Reports are part of Global Sources' sourcing and product information services. These include Global Sources Online (http://www.globalsources.com), China Sourcing Fairs (http://www.chinasourcingfair.com), Private Sourcing Events (http://www.PrivateSourcingEvents.com) and Global Sources monthly magazines (http://www.globalsources.com/SITE/MAGAZINES.HTM).

For more information about Global Sources' products and services that connect quality buyers with verified suppliers, visit http://www.corporate.globalsources.com.

China Sourcing Report: Household & Kitchen Appliances is available for purchase at http://www.chinasourcingreports.com/householdkitchenappliances .

Free information about China suppliers of household and kitchen appliances can be found at http://www.chinasuppliers.globalsources.com/china-suppliers/Kitchen-Appliances.htm .

About Global Sources

Global Sources is a leading business-to-business media company and a primary facilitator of trade with Greater China. The core business uses English-language media to facilitate trade from Greater China to the world. The other business segment utilizes Chinese-language media to enable companies to sell to, and within Greater China.

The company provides sourcing information to volume buyers and integrated marketing services to suppliers. It helps a community of over 967,000 active buyers source more profitably from complex overseas supply markets. With the goal of providing the most effective ways possible to advertise, market and sell, Global Sources enables suppliers to sell to hard-to-reach buyers in over 240 countries.

The company offers the most extensive range of media and export marketing services in the industries it serves. It delivers information on over 4.7 million products and more than 262,000 suppliers annually through 14 online marketplaces, 13 monthly print and 18 digital magazines, over 80 sourcing research reports and 20 specialized trade shows which run 57 times a year across 9 cities.

Suppliers receive more than 192 million sales leads annually from buyers through Global Sources Online (http://www.globalsources.com) alone.

Global Sources has been facilitating global trade for 40 years. Global Sources' network covers more than 60 cities worldwide. In mainland China, Global Sources has about 2,700 team members in more than 40 locations, and a community of over 2 million registered online users and magazine readers for its Chinese-language media.