Explore the booming demand for stainless steel cabinets and cookware, driven by urbanization and smart home integration
Stainless steel cabinets refer to cabinets where all or part of the key components such as the cabinet body, countertop, cabinet doors and hinges are made of stainless steel. Stainless steel, with its high hardness, strong compressive and impact resistance, water resistance, fire resistance, mold resistance, moth resistance, formaldehyde-free, environmental friendliness and health benefits, has become a highly favored material for cabinets in modern home decoration.
Stainless steel cabinets are not only sturdy and durable, but also easy to clean and maintain, which can better meet modern people’s demands for environmental protection, health, beauty and practicality in their homes.
I. Current Market Development Status
Market size: The market size of stainless steel cabinets is expanding year by year. According to the “2025-2030 China Stainless Steel Cabinet Industry Market Deep Research and Development Trend Report” written by the CRI Research Institute, the demand for stainless steel cabinets in China was approximately 3.283 million units in 2022, indicating that although the market share of stainless steel cabinets in the domestic market is still less than 10%, it has broad development potential. It is estimated that the global stainless steel cabinet market size will reach 12 billion yuan by 2025, among which the Chinese market is the largest, accounting for nearly 40% of the market share.
Market competition: Due to the low entry threshold, there are numerous stainless steel cabinet manufacturing enterprises in China, such as Oppein, Ile, Jiajule, Gold Medal Cabinets, Yalijia, and Kolani, etc. The market competition is fierce, but it is mainly concentrated in the East China, North China, and South China regions. The industry presents an industrial pattern of “big industries and small enterprises”, with few large enterprises and a majority of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Product price: In recent years, the price of stainless steel kitchen cabinets has been continuously declining. For instance, in 2022, the average price of stainless steel kitchen cabinets in China dropped to around 9,500 yuan per set.
Ii. Market Prospects
The urbanization process is accelerating: With the improvement of urbanization levels, consumers in second – and third-tier cities have also begun to pay attention to the construction of living quality. As an important part of home decoration, stainless steel cabinets will face more market demand.
The popularization of smart home: The popularization of smart home has driven the development of stainless steel cabinets towards intelligence. By integrating technologies such as smart lighting, smart storage systems, and smart sensor switches, it has enhanced the convenience and comfort of users’ usage, further broadening the market prospects.
Policy support: The state has issued a series of policies and regulations concerning environmental protection, home health and other aspects, encouraging and supporting enterprises to research and develop and produce environmentally friendly and healthy home products, providing policy support for the development of the stainless steel cabinet industry.
Iii. Market Environment
Consumer demand: Consumers are increasingly attaching importance to kitchen design, and their demand for personalized and customized stainless steel cabinets is on the rise. Meanwhile, the enhancement of environmental awareness has also prompted consumers to tend to choose products that can reduce the environmental burden.
Raw material supply: The output of crude stainless steel in China has been continuously increasing, providing abundant raw materials for the stainless steel cabinet manufacturing industry. For instance, in 2022, China’s crude stainless steel output reached 31.975 million tons, representing a year-on-year growth of 4.38%.
Sales channels: The sales channels for stainless steel cabinets are diverse, including physical store sales, e-commerce sales, live-streaming sales, etc. Among them, online sales have gradually become an important sales channel, providing consumers with more purchasing options.
Iv. Development Trends
Material innovation: The development of new stainless steel materials will make cabinets more durable, environmentally friendly, and also feature antibacterial and easy-to-clean properties. In addition, the combination of stainless steel with other materials will also become a trend, breaking the monotonous texture of traditional stainless steel cabinets.
Diversified design: The design style of stainless steel cabinets will present diversified and personalized characteristics. Minimalist style, modern style, industrial style, Nordic style, etc. will all be favored by consumers. Meanwhile, personalized customized design will also become a trend.
Intelligent development: With the popularization of smart homes, stainless steel cabinets will pay more attention to intelligent design, enhancing the convenience and comfort of the kitchen through technological means. For example, it is equipped with intelligent devices such as automatic sensor lights, intelligent storage systems, and intelligent ventilation systems.
Environmental protection and energy conservation: Energy conservation and environmental protection have become important considerations for consumers when choosing products. Stainless steel cabinet manufacturers will increasingly focus on reducing energy consumption and minimizing environmental impact in the process of product design and manufacturing.
In conclusion, the stainless steel cabinet industry has broad prospects for development and market potential. Enterprises need to constantly innovate and optimize their products to adapt to the changes in the market and the improvement of consumer demands.
