By Rieva Lesonsky
There’s so much for entrepreneurs and SMEs to discover at March Expo (which runs through the end of the month), especially in the sweeping consumer electronics category. The types of products being showcased this month is vast, diverse and unique.
We all know consumer electronics are in great demand among both B2C and B2B consumers. To win their business (and gain their loyalty) you need to offer more than the same old, same old.
The good news is, it’s easier than ever to find the consumer electronics customers crave by looking at the products available from the more than 58,000 suppliers participating in March Expo.
First step: go to Alibaba.com or the Alibaba.com mobile app and look for the consumer electronics pages. Before you dive into the products, check out the 2018 digital trends, so you can see the consumer electronics that are sure to capture customers’ attention.
Look at the sales trajectory of smart speakers, for instance. According to the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), in America alone, sales of smart speakers over the holidays came in at about 11 million units sold. Last year, nearly 25 million speakers were sold—and CTA expects 2018 sales will jump to 36 million. Amazon’s Echo Dot, more commonly known as Alexa, is extremely popular, with “tens of millions” sold. But the Dot is not enough, consumers want to house their unit in a device that produces better sound and amplification. There are a number suppliers of these products participating in March Expo, selling them in all shapes, sizes and price points.
Consumers want all sorts of accessories for their smartphones, ranging from sleek, sophisticated cases to ones with more fun designs. But consumer electronics are not just about tech devices. As consumers continue to remodel their homes, they’re buying lots of new appliances from refrigerators to milk frothers that come in a variety of colors.
School and office supplies fall into the consumer electronics category, so if that’s your market, you can find a full range of suppliers who are selling pens (with LED lights), pencils, colorful notebooks and desk accessories. And what consumer wouldn’t want a tennis ball flash drive?
From the simple to the complex, more and more consumers want VR (virtual reality) headsets. Of course, no selection of consumer electronics would be complete with gaming devices, like headphones or drone cameras.
Consumer electronics in the home
And then there’s the marriage of consumer electronics with home décor (we’ll talk more about that in a later post). Look at these smart lamps, with built-in speakers so people can listen to music.
Today’s homeowners are busy and looking for convenient—and quick smart home solutions. If this sounds like your customers, be sure to check out the Xiaomi robot vacuum sweeping cleaner.
The time to shop for all these consumer electronics is now—during March Expo. Many of the suppliers are offering discounts, and Alibaba.com is offering several promotions of its own. Purchases made this month will get free order inspection, 15% discount off ocean shipping (LCL) and low transaction fees.
You can follow the opportunities at March Expo on social media following @AlibabaTalk and the #DiscoverNewMarch hashtag.
