Everything is set to rise to the top—up to 30%! Kitchen appliances are seeing the sharpest price hikes. Staff member: It’s most cost-effective to buy before mid-April.

Ask AI · Why would AI development indirectly lead to higher appliance prices?

News from Kuai Technology on April 5: According to reports, recently, discussions on social media about home appliance price increases have continued to run hot.

One appliance sales representative said, “Prices will definitely go up in April, and it’s definitely about 10%. Not just range hoods—every appliance, every brand, all of them will increase. If you want to buy, it’s best to do so before mid-April.”

At present, the terminal retail prices of home appliances have not been adjusted across the board, but the implementation of the price hikes is already in the countdown. Most brands’ repricing will officially take effect in mid to late April. Many consumers have also found that the appliance products they had previously considered are now showing price increases, and the cost of purchasing appliances for renovations has increased significantly.

Among this round of price hikes, kitchen appliances have become the category with the most prominent increase, with the base increase already reaching 10%. As for new kitchen appliance models launched in the four and five months of this year, the increase is even expected to reach 30%.

White goods are also unlikely to escape the price-hike trend. For air conditioners, affected by raw material prices, the overall increase is expected to be in the range of 10% to 15%. A 2-ton wall-mounted air conditioner priced at around 4,000 yuan will, after the price increase, become directly 400 yuan more expensive.

However, some brands will carry out promotions first and then adjust prices later, giving consumers a short window to shop.

This collective increase in appliance prices is mainly due to a sharp surge in upstream raw material prices.

Compared with last year’s average price, copper prices are up 18.6%. As a core raw material for air conditioners, this directly raises the cost of white goods; meanwhile, ABS plastic used for appliance housings has also surged by more than 50%.

At the same time, AI data center expansions have triggered a chip shortage. The prices of memory chips used in appliances have risen significantly, putting pressure on the costs of categories such as televisions.

Smartphones are also affected by this and are seeing price increases. Several models have already officially announced higher prices or the cancellation of discounts.

It’s worth noting that this round of repricing is not an across-the-board increase for all categories. Expectations of price increases are stronger for new products and new-batch models, while prices for inventory old models will remain stable. Brands will also use older products to maintain sales and clear inventory.

To ease consumers’ concerns, many appliance stores have introduced a “buy first, collect later” price-lock strategy. This can lock in the current promotional price. If lower prices appear later, they can make up the difference.