Haier Group, headquartered in Qingdao, Shandong province, has become the world's leading provider of consumer-friendly electronic home appliances and services.

The recent Global Home Electronic Appliance Survey Report released by Euromonitor, a global consumer market research institute, showed that Haier's retail sales volume of white goods accounted for 9.7 percent of the global market sales in 2013. It is the fifth consecutive year that Haier's white goods took first place in the global market.

To meet wide ranging demands, the products Haier has invented and developed cover almost all home electronic appliances varieties. The five brands under Haier have different market strategies according to varied regions and market positions.

The company's global sales revenue soared to 180.3 billion yuan ($28.7 billion) in 2013, a year-on-year increase of 11 percent.

Haier's total profits reached 10.8 billion yuan in 2013, 20 percent up from the previous year. It was the first time the company's profits passed the 10 billion threshold.

Qingdao Haier and Haier Electronic Appliances are the two listed companies under the Haier Group.

Aiming to become the world's leading company in the global home electronic appliances industry, the company focused on innovation to promote smart electronic appliances.

Haier Electronic Appliances uses a wide business network and tries to provide the best shopping service with 24-hour delivery.

To date, Haier has established seven industrial parks, seven overseas factories and 10 operations for international cooperation and mobility. Its overseas investment model has changed from assembly plants to diversified investment and comprehensive development.

With the support of five research and development centers, Haier has established cooperative relations with 56 universities, 362 technology companies, 86 research institutes and 65 government associations, which involve 3,000 experts across the world. The partnerships have ensured that Haier makes suitable and advanced products for local markets overseas.

Haier has accumulated experience of overseas operations after years expanding abroad.

In 2012, Haier purchased the white goods business of Japan's Sanyo Electric Co, a move that gave the company an edge in the Japanese and Southeast Asian markets.

Haier also established two R&D centers, four manufacturing bases and six regional localization sales networks in Asia.

In Japan Haier adopted a double brand strategy of AQUA and Haier. Products under the AQUA brand come from different manufacturing bases to Haier in Asia.

In 2009, Haier bought a 20 percent stock share of Fisher & Paykel of Australia and three years later took 100 percent control. After the acquisition Haier enforced a double-brand strategy of Haier and FPA in Australia and New Zealand.

FPA's original management team stayed in place with Haier headquarters in Qingdao involved only to provide resources and to take part in integrated strategy discussions.

The operation model helped Haier enhance its global competitive advantage and further boosted product localization and internationalization.

huqing@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 05/13/2014 page12)