Haier Refrigerators: Sustained Global Leadership Through Technological Innovation

Haier is solidifying its position as the undisputed leader in the global refrigerator market. Recent data from GfK Zhongyi Kang reveals that Haier refrigerators captured a commanding 47% market share in China for the period of January-July 2025, a net increase of 2.6 percentage points year-over-year, outpacing industry growth. Further solidifying its global dominance, Euromonitor International confirms Haier’s reign as the world’s top-selling refrigerator brand for the 17th consecutive year, based on retail volume.

What’s the secret behind Haier’s global dominance? A deep dive into patent data offers some compelling insights. According to global patent search databases, Haier refrigerators maintained its lead in global invention patent publications for the seventh consecutive year in 2024. This robust technological foundation fuels continuous innovation at Haier, allowing the company to cater to diverse global consumer needs and preferences, making it the refrigeration brand of choice for a growing global audience.

Technological Differentiation Drives Global Appeal

While GfK Consumer Life 2024 data indicates that approximately 49% of global consumers express a preference for domestically manufactured products, Haier refrigerators are transcending geographical boundaries through its innovative and personalized product solutions, gaining widespread acceptance among international consumers.

In Europe, addressing the critical consumer need for “clean ice,” Haier developed a unique triple independent cooling system. This innovation tackles the common refrigerator issues of flavor contamination and impurities within ice, boasting a reduction in trimethylamine levels (a key indicator of unwanted odors) by a factor of ten. Furthermore, catering to the burgeoning demand for energy-efficient appliances, Haier introduced “Super Energy-Saving Refrigerators,” exceeding the European A-class energy efficiency standard by 30%. These locally relevant innovations have cemented Haier’s reputation as a leading brand of premium refrigerators in Europe, securing the top spot in the multi-door refrigerator market for eight years running, with a market share exceeding 40%. The brand is experiencing rapid growth in key markets such as Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom, showcasing how technological prowess can break down traditional “domestic brand barriers.”

In Southeast Asia, Haier refrigerators are equipped with innovative dry zone preservation technology, optimizing the storage of local staples like coffee and spices. This has propelled the brand to become the overall top-selling refrigeration brand in the region, with growth rates exceeding 40% in Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

Domestically, Haier tackled the common consumer pain point of “poor taste in frozen foods” with its pioneering Magnetic Control Freshness technology, delivering an enhanced experience where “frozen fish retains ocean-fresh taste even after 60 days.” This technology, recognized with prestigious accolades like the sole National Science and Technology Progress Award in the industry and a Gold Medal at the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions, has found resonance in the market, with the Haier Harmony Series, featuring this technology, achieving the highest single-product market share across the entire industry.

These examples represent only a fraction of Haier’s global innovation efforts. By leveraging differentiated technological capabilities, the brand is experiencing global success across diverse markets. In the United States, its multi-door large-capacity refrigerators cater to increasingly diverse ice-making requirements, securing the top market position for three consecutive years. In Australia, a dual-brand strategy effectively caters to a wide spectrum of consumer needs, contributing to three years of market leadership. In Southeast Asia, Haier has achieved overall top sales, with large-capacity refrigerators experiencing growth of over 50%.

Spearheading International Standards: Driving Holistic Industry Advancement

Beyond delivering tangible user benefits, technological prowess is intrinsically linked to the pursuit of international influence. Leveraging its deep expertise in food preservation technology, Haier led the development and publication of the world’s first IEC international standard for refrigerator preservation, closing a 119-year gap in the industry. This standard quantifies previously ambiguous refrigerator preservation performance into measurable metrics, establishing a uniform benchmark for quantifying “how long food stays fresh” and “how much nutrition is retained.”

This increased international influence has further enhanced Haier’s brand image abroad. The IEC refrigerator preservation international standard has been adopted by more than 30 countries, enabling consumers to either purchase Haier refrigerators or refrigerators that meet Haier standards.

Haier’s global leadership journey vividly illustrates how “technology first” underpins “brand first.” This is not only the key to Haier’s sustained growth, but also serves as a blueprint for the global home appliance industry’s transformation and upgrade.