China has a huge market for gadgets. Whether you are a geek or just looking for cool gifts, you will find a broad array of electronic gadgets and cool gizmo gadgets here. For China, the growing gadgets demand will drive global marketers to seek opportunities in China.

China’s gadget and technology Trends 2024

China’s gadget and technology sector is a rapidly evolving landscape, marked by innovative breakthroughs and shifting consumer preferences. Here are seven key trends shaping this vast market:

Need a cost effective TP (Tmall Partner) to sell in China?

We are an Official Tmall Partner e-commerce Agency. Our Services: E-Commerce, Search Engine Optimization, Advertising, Weibo, WeChat, WeChat Store & PR.

  1. 5G Expansion and Adoption: China is at the forefront of 5G technology, with widespread infrastructure development and increasing consumer adoption. This has enabled faster internet speeds, improved connectivity, and has opened new possibilities for smart devices and IoT (Internet of Things) applications.
  2. AI Integration: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly integrated into consumer electronics, from smartphones with AI-powered cameras to smart home devices that learn from user behavior. AI is enhancing user experiences by making devices smarter and more intuitive.
  3. Eco-friendly and Sustainable Tech: There’s a growing consumer demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly gadgets. Manufacturers are responding with greener products, including biodegradable materials and energy-efficient technologies, reflecting a broader commitment to sustainability.
  4. Wearable Tech Growth: The wearable technology market, including smartwatches, fitness trackers, and health monitoring devices, continues to expand. These gadgets are becoming more sophisticated, offering a wider range of health-related features and connectivity options.
  5. AR and VR Technologies: Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies are gaining traction, especially in gaming, education, and retail. These technologies offer immersive experiences and are being explored for virtual try-ons, gaming, and interactive learning.
  6. Smart Home Devices: The adoption of smart home devices is on the rise, with consumers embracing smart speakers, security cameras, and automated home systems. These gadgets offer convenience, enhanced security, and energy savings, contributing to their growing popularity.
  7. Local Brands Rising: Chinese technology brands are increasingly dominant on the global stage, offering high-quality, innovative products at competitive prices. Brands like Huawei, Xiaomi, and Oppo are challenging international giants, especially in the smartphone and smart home device markets.

Gadgets and Small Technology Products Are Booming In China

The gadgets in our main Electronic Gadgets category include solar appliances like solar phones and laptop chargers. You will also find LED watches with cool light effects or amusing cryptic ways of displaying the time. There are laser gadgets such as handheld laser pointers and rangefinders. And also loads of other small and interesting cheap electronics and cool inventions.

There are also several popular gadgets and popular technology products in China, like virtual cinema video glasses, solar chargers, digital Dictaphones, 3D printers both big and small, camera drones that fit in the palm of your hand, musical gadgets, and much more.

Chinese people love gizmo gadgets and Chinese parents tend to buy them for their children, especially for education. One such example is the flying toys which are one of the hottest gadgets in 2017. These come in all sizes from a palm-size mini drone that fits in your hand to bigger quad-copters carrying 4K cameras, such as the DJI Phantom. These are able to capture stunning aerial photography. Many of these can be synced to your smartphone or iPad and offer immense VFP photography. These gadgets are popular due to their favorable price and providing hours of entertainment and make an ideal gift for boys.

China’s gadget and technology sector is a rapidly evolving landscape, marked by innovative breakthroughs and shifting consumer preferences.

7 key trends shaping this vast market:

  1. 5G Expansion and Adoption: China is at the forefront of 5G technology, with widespread infrastructure development and increasing consumer adoption. This has enabled faster internet speeds, improved connectivity, and has opened new possibilities for smart devices and IoT (Internet of Things) applications.
  2. AI Integration: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly integrated into consumer electronics, from smartphones with AI-powered cameras to smart home devices that learn from user behavior. AI is enhancing user experiences by making devices smarter and more intuitive.
  3. Eco-friendly and Sustainable Tech: There’s a growing consumer demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly gadgets. Manufacturers are responding with greener products, including biodegradable materials and energy-efficient technologies, reflecting a broader commitment to sustainability.
  4. Wearable Tech Growth: The wearable technology market, including smartwatches, fitness trackers, and health monitoring devices, continues to expand. These gadgets are becoming more sophisticated, offering a wider range of health-related features and connectivity options.
  5. AR and VR Technologies: Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies are gaining traction, especially in gaming, education, and retail. These technologies offer immersive experiences and are being explored for virtual try-ons, gaming, and interactive learning.
  6. Smart Home Devices: The adoption of smart home devices is on the rise, with consumers embracing smart speakers, security cameras, and automated home systems. These gadgets offer convenience, enhanced security, and energy savings, contributing to their growing popularity.
  7. Local Brands Rising: Chinese technology brands are increasingly dominant on the global stage, offering high-quality, innovative products at competitive prices. Brands like Huawei, Xiaomi, and Oppo are challenging international giants, especially in the smartphone and smart home device markets.

Shenzhen Huaqiangbei Market Is the Most Amazing Gadget Market in the World

Huaqiangbei market – the world’s most amazing gadget market

There is a massive collection of vendors in the Huaqiangbei market who are selling everything from imitation iPhones to circuit boards and soldering irons. In this market, you will find out the process of how the next gadgets get made.

The nature of the marketplace was changing. It was still a place where merchants, inventors, and entrepreneurs came to shop for components when they wanted to build something new. But increasingly the market was also the source of its own creations, spinning up new takes on hoverboards, drones, and selfie sticks with unique modifications that might just prove to be the next big seller around the globe.

China’s Gadget Market Faces Copyright Crisis

In some cases, factories will make products that physically resemble ones made by prominent brands. Quality may vary—an Android phone with rounded edges and a stamped-on Apple logo will never come close to replicating the feel of an iPhone. But a counterfeit Gucci bag might easily pass for the real thing.

However more and more companies are willing to resort to legal solutions against these copycats.

3 Amazing Chinese Gadgets

China is regarded as a lack of innovation, but in recent years, some Chinese companies and inventors have devoted themselves to new gadget technology.

Qihoo 360 Kids Guard 2

According to the Chinese company Qihoo, more than 500,000 Chinese families already use the Kids Guard, a watch that allows parents to track their kids on their mobile phones.

Version two of the watch, a cute colorful silicone band designed not to irritate young skin, sold out instantly. As well as the GPS tracker, it also boasts an alert for when a child moves out of a pre-set range, and the ability to listen in for ten seconds to a microphone on the watch to hear where your child might have got to.

Now in 2020, Qihoo has launched 360 Kids Guard 9X which is waterproof under 20 meters and equipped with 4G and mobile payment.

Chinese Unique Beautifying Function

Beauty camera is extremely popular in China, Chinese young girls can not take a photo if they can’t use the beautifying function. Many phone manufacturers provide mobile phones with a built-in beauty camera.

Chinese mobile phone maker Meitu (Beautiful Image) is selling a £220 to £299 Android smartphone for vain selfies. Armed with a twin flash and a 13-megapixel camera, the phone automatically processes pictures to remove freckles, soften lighting, improve skin color, and add shine to the eyes.

The Briefcase Unicycle

Stabilized with a gyroscope, commuters can carry their unicycle on the train or metro, then simply fold down the footrests on either side, step on, and whizz the rest of the way to work. The top speed is around 12mph and cheap models cost around £180. 

How to Sell Your Gadgets in China

Establish Your Own Chinese Website

It is a good way to establish your own website for your gadget business, but if you want your business to be successful in China, a Chinese website needs to establish.

Xiaomi website

Your website has to be strong and structured. Chinese consumers are no longer trustful due to all the counterfeits, copies, and tricks. They will be really reassured if you have an Official Website, trustworthy and professional.

To start, your website needs to be hosted in China mainland with a “.cn” name which shows that the Chinese government authorizes your website. Foreign websites are not adapted to Chinese norms, are often censored, and are very slow to open. However, Baidu doesn’t consider foreign websites because they don’t use mandarin keywords.

It’s mandatory to provide a website in mandarin to touch your target. If it’s only in English, they will not feel concerned. Furthermore, don’t forget that Chinese normed are different. If western countries like clean aesthetics, Chinese consumers preferred a page with a lot of information in small characters and many images and animations.

Selling on E-commerce Platforms 

According to Statista, as of June 2020, about 749.39 million people in China had purchased goods online. You definitely should use this huge consumer basis for your business in China. Foreign brands are already loved by consumers, so it’s your competitive advantage.

Tmall electric appliances mall

Start a store in cross-border e-commerce platforms. Tmall, Taobao, and JD are the giants of e-commerce. They are the bigger platforms and also the bests in terms of quality and safety. Two important points in China.

Because these e-commerce platforms are very popular in China, it’s not easy to sell on that platform. Most of them only accept brands that have already a significant presence and realized high sales in China. That’s why most of the spirits brands failed to sell on the giants’ platforms, Tmall, Taobao, or JD.

If you are a mature marketer with an amount of capital, you can try to sell on Tmall and JD because the 2 platforms want to keep a high ranking and only offer to their consumer’s famous brands and quality products. That’s why they are so selective.

If you do have not enough funds yet, the Wechat store also provides good e-shops. It’s a bit more accessible for beginners in the natural cleaning products market.

Pinduoduo the new challengers

If WeChat can be an option for small budgets, Pinduoduo is also a great option. The eCommerce app business model is based on bulk buying (Groupon type) and affiliation eCommerce (they have a deal with WeChat Tencent to encourage shares with instant reward).

The app has huge coverage in China and is currently the second biggest eCommerce app in the country.

Entering fees and requirements are a lot more accessible than those of Tmall or JD for instance and the app offers many marketing tools to its sellers.

Want to learn more? Contact-us, we can help you join the app as a seller in less than a month.

Use Chinese Social Media to Boost Your Sales

In China, if you want to leverage your e-reputation of your gadgets, the most popular way is to use social media, such as WeChat and Little Red Book for Girls , Zhihu is also a good option

Use Wechat to Promote your Electronic Gadget in China

WeChat, developed by Tencent has more than 1.2 billion active users every day. The social media platform is more than only a social media app. Tencent developed a lot of other services to adapt its contents to users’ needs. It’s also very convenient for brands to communicate with their target.

The platform is known for its communication services in which users can send messages, share images and videos, voice call and video call other users on a closed network. Having an account on WeChat enables you to promote your brand via mobile or tablet.

Weibo is an excellent platform for electronic gadgets Brands

Weibo official account of Braun

Weibo is the second-most mass-used social networking site in China, with around 82% penetration rate across the country and more than 550 million users as of July 2020. Chinese people can speak about every subject and they love it on Weibo and all contents are open to everyone.

The social microblogging network has also attracted more than 130,000 companies. It’s very important for spirits brands to create their own Weibo Official Account, and get their account verified.

If your account is signed as verified, you will have more followers because it’s legitimacy proof for Chinese users who know that the Weibo process to have a verified account is complicated and long but ensure the legitimacy of a brand. More than 56% of Weibo users follow at least one brand on Weibo. In addition, on Weibo, you don’t need to be connected first to follow a brand.

Influencers Can Promote Your Brand Image in China

To gain visibility and e-reputation, it is crucial to encourage positive word-of-mouth. KOL can help you.

KOL marketing content about gadgets on Chinese social media

The Key Opinion Leaders (KOL) are social media users who succeeded to make a lot of traffic on their accounts and became famous. Chinese consumers idolize KOLs, trust them more than brands. Some KOLs have millions of fans. They are really good to influence the mass population.

Through them, you are able to reach your target group. In other words, intermediaries can be a great asset in selling your imported spirits to Chinese consumers.

Kols are great to sell in China but be aware of scams in 2024

However, KOLs are not an easy tool to control, it’s definitely one of the most useful ones out there but they are humans with their own thinking power. They can improve the reputation of a brand but also destroy it.

Chinese consumers are influenced when their idol recommends or favors your spirits brand. By doing this your target audience will convince very fast and will eventually buy your products.

By engaging with KOL, your website and your brand will become more appealing through the buzz effect from their followers. The aim is to create a positive influence on the brand.

Gentlemen Marketing Agency is specialized in digital marketing in the Chinese market. Do not hesitate to contact us if you want to discuss any projects in China.

Read more about selling in China:

Similar Posts

9 Comments

  1. i want to sell birdsnest to china, but we didnt have brand yet.
    and also website.
    if we want to direct selling, payment directly using wechat red pocket because alipay we cant open. can we took payment first before shipment like i order from alibaba before when china market product not booming yet around 2008

  2. We are a Distributor of Western Technology Brands in China, and we are searching for European Brands to distribute in China.
    Please contact me

    1. Hello Xiaozhao,
      We would like to expand a Canadian made gadget to CHINA. Please contact me through email or wechat.

      Wechat: HarveyLu

    1. Very true!
      But foreign brand should not shy away because there are still plenty of opportunities
      They should just keep in mind that we the rise of national champion, being a foreign brand is not enough anymore to succeed in China.
      Brands that are investing in marketing in China know that it is essential and totally worth it 🙂

  3. I WANT TO BEGIN SELLING HAVE SOME CAPITAL TOTALLY UNSURE WHAT IS THE BEST ROUTE ANY TIPS GREATLY APPRECIATED SOLUTION SOLVING ITEMS NOT TOO EXPENSIVE SEEM TO BE A ROUTE? ALSO WILL BUY IN CHINA TO SELL IN EUROPE TOO

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *