According to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, home appliance sales in the countryside are increasing. This is mainly due to the rural home appliance subsidy program.
During the first 10 months of this year, sales of home appliances under the scheme reached over 27 million units.
Industry insiders say the increasing sales in the countryside have offset the impact brought on by the global financial crisis.
Although China’s home appliance industry has reported a 20% drop in exports this year, the sector’s total output remains unchanged from a year earlier.
Huang Wei, Vice President of TCL, said "Our company is shifting its sales focus. In 2007, nearly 60% of our products were sold overseas. The rate dropped to 50% in 2008, and 40% this year."
CCTV.com reports that the China Household Electrical Appliances Association says cooling appliances are the most popular products in the rural market.