Moghe Hotels Divide: A Battle of Brands, Haier vs. Leader Air Conditioners

This summer’s scorching heatwave sweeping across China spared no region, not even Mohe in Heilongjiang Province, often dubbed the “Arctic of China.” Normally a haven for those seeking respite from the summer heat, Mohe this year experienced unusually high temperatures. Air conditioning, once a rarity, has suddenly become a “must-have” for local hotels.

The Songying Hotel and the Blueberry Hotel, standing side-by-side in Mohe, are both facing this “cooling defense” challenge. To retain guests deterred by the sweltering heat, both hotels independently opted for large-scale air conditioning installations – approximately sixty to seventy units each. Interestingly, their choices converged on the same corporate family: Haier Smart Home. The Songying Hotel selected the well-known Haier air conditioning brand, while the Blueberry Hotel targeted the younger, internet-savvy demographic with the Leader brand.

“In previous summers, even fans felt superfluous. But with this year’s continuous 36°C (97°F) temperatures, we simply couldn’t keep guests without air conditioning,” a hotel employee stated, highlighting Mohe’s current predicament. Data reveals that since June, temperatures in multiple Northeastern Chinese locations have repeatedly broken historical records. The average temperature in Heilongjiang Province has been an unusually high 3.2°C above the norm, setting a new high for the same period since records began in 1961. Providing a cool and comfortable stay has become a crucial selling point for local hotels.

The decision by both hotel operators to choose Haier’s brands stems from their respective pragmatic considerations. The Songying Hotel’s manager emphasized the comprehensive strength of an established brand: “Haier is a renowned brand, known for its excellent quality and reliable service. Especially its advertised ’15-second rapid cooling’ feature and stable operation. In this unique situation, being able to install quickly and ensure guest comfort is vital for us.”

The Blueberry Hotel, catering primarily to a younger clientele, favors Leader’s differentiated advantages: “Our guests are mainly young people with high demands for quality and experience. Leader not only cools quickly, but its design is also more stylish and trendsetting, appealing to the tastes of younger consumers. It can also be controlled intelligently via smartphone, perfectly meeting their desire for a smart lifestyle.” Leader, as Haier Smart Home’s brand positioned for the younger market, precisely leveraged its strengths in this situation.

It’s important to note that Mohe, located at the northernmost tip of China, faces extremely challenging logistics conditions. Most air conditioning brands, constrained by supply chains and service networks, struggle to ensure timely product delivery and installation. Haier’s air conditioning brands (including both Haier and Leader), however, rely on their well-established logistics system and localized service capabilities, making them one of the few suppliers capable of efficiently covering this “far northern land.” This ability to “deliver and install” naturally makes them the preferred choice for local consumers.

It is precisely this rapid response to extreme weather and deep cultivation of regional markets that has fueled Haier’s explosive growth in the Northeast China market. Market feedback indicates that its retail sales have increased by an astonishing 300% year-on-year. According to the latest data from a third-party organization, in the first half of 2025, Haier air conditioning not only achieved high growth in both retail sales and retail volume in the overall market, but its retail volume share also increased by 0.7 percentage points, making it the fastest-growing brand among the top three in the industry. This “air conditioning showdown” in the Mohe summer resort is not only about bringing coolness to guests, but also a vivid demonstration of the comprehensive competitiveness of Haier Smart Home’s brand matrix in a unique market environment.