German appliances expand Chinese footprint

German household appliances company Vorwerk Group expects rapid growth in China with “premium consumers to lead the world’s consumption trend,” the company’s regional head said during the ongoing China International Import Expo. 

Vorwerk’s sales and brand awareness have been improved in China since last year's CIIE, with “big double-digit” revenue growth, said Zha Sheng, general manager of Vorwerk China. 

Vorwerk, a high-end household brand, released some new products during the expo, some products are specifically aimed at the China mark, including an intelligent cooking machine and smart tea maker. 

China is the now company’s fourth biggest regional market behind Germany, Spain and France.

“China will take higher ranking in near future as local premium consumers now lead the world’s (consumption) wave, instead of following it previously,” said Zha. 

Vorwerk’s major consumers are in the major cities but new premium consumer groups have appeared in smaller cities with increased family income, the two-kids policy and consumption upgrade.

Besides Vorwerk, high-end brands from UK and France are also expanding in the Chinese market.

After attending the  CIIE last year, Vorwerk increased investment in China, especially its factory and research center in Shanghai. It now has 27 experience centers nationwide, with 10 more planned, Zha added.

The intelligent tea maker Temial allows users to make tea in two minutes. It features a tea-making database, mobile application and tea bags with bar codes. More than 10 types of Chinese teas have been launched in the German product line. The tea maker costs 6,299 yuan (US$900).