Sanitary hardware products are defined as any metal products that are installed in the bathroom, including bath towel holders and racks, towel rings, clothing hooks, soap dishes, soap cages, gargle cup frames, tissue holders, and accessory shelves. New products like steam rooms, cabinet basins, and luxury bathtubs have also been introduced in recent years. The prices of these goods vary widely depending on their design and functionality, and the designs are ever-changing. For example, hardware is now being designed to look like exquisite works of art for better attracting consumers. As the industry continues to develop, focus is being placed on e-commerce, energy savings, and environmental protection, fueling optimism in entrepreneurs.
1. Prospective Bathroom Hardware Market Development Analysis
The market space for bathroom hardware is quite large due to the variety of products, which include mirrors, toothbrush cups, toothbrush racks, toilet paper holders, coat hangers, and toilet brush holders, in addition to the items mentioned above. Most bathroom hardware products are chromium-plated with a base material of titanium alloy, copper, or stainless steel. The titanium alloy chromium-plated products are the most durable, but they are also the most expensive, ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Pure copper chromium-plated products can effectively prevent oxidization, quality is guaranteed, and are the most widely available on the market with a price of about ￥100. Stainless steel chromium-plated products are the most cost-effective, typically under ￥100, but their service life is the shortest. As far as color and luster are concerned, products in this new generation are usually of an ice-cold stainless steel color, but silvery white and brassy appearances are also popular in the market.
A concerned department published a notice pertaining to the country’s transition to hygienic urban building. The notice stated that the city has already begun using water-saving fittings instead of tank fittings on old-fashioned flush toilets. Additionally, it is anticipated that increased urbanization will be concurrent with improvements to living conditions, which include the integration of the intelligent toilet.
At this time, there are already numerous channels in place for selling sanitary fittings. But dealers are also reporting that the real estate market may have a significant influence on sanitary fitting sales, thus giving them an optimistic outlook on the sanitary hardware market’s future. The real estate market is growing rapidly, and dealers expect this growth to subsequently boost the sanitary fitting market. As sanitary fitting design and functionality continues to progress, customers are able to easily update their fittings according to their needs. Performing sanitary fitting updates is now just a small project that can be completed in a short amount of time.
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, the total area of commercial housing sales in China reached 1,944,788,200 square meters in 2017, up 7.66% from the same period in 2016. Among these sales, the area of commercial residential buildings reached 1,447,887,700 square meters, an increase of 5.3%; the area of office buildings reached 47.5621 million square meters, an increase of 24.3%; and the area of commercial business housing reached 128.3814 million square meters, an increase of 18.7%. From 2014 to 2017, China's commercial housing sales area increased at a compound annual growth rate of 8.9%. In the first five months of 2018, the sales area of commercial housing in China reached 564,0909 square meters, an increase of 2.9% compared with the same period in 2017.
2. Sanitary Hardware Market Development Trends
As the technology develops, bathroom hardware products are becoming increasingly diverse, rich in color, and popular with young consumers. As this established market continues to grow, there is also potential for other related markets to emerge. For example, the integration of comfortable sofas, soft carpets, gentle lighting, and practical bookshelves into bathrooms could spawn entirely new demand. Regardless of market speculation, it is evident that as sanitary hardware technology continues to improve, so will the focus of hygiene and customer satisfaction.