Oil-free, low-fat, powerful, and “more addictive the more you use it”, air fryers have become a fashionable consumer choice for young people after the epidemic. Small and good-looking air fryers are considered to be a tool that can improve the happiness of life. In the live broadcast rooms of Li Jiaqi and Wei Ya, air fryers have always been a hot-selling product that is sold out in seconds. According to statistics, more than 10 million air fryers were sold in China in 2020.

However, the greater the user’s expectations when placing an order, the greater the psychological gap in the future. New small appliances such as air fryers, mini ovens, and breakfast machines are often the items with the highest idle rate in the kitchen. “When I first got them, I used them almost every day. It lasted for about two weeks, and then I didn’t use them much.”

Most small appliances are not just-needed products, and they often point to long-tail needs in more sophisticated and single scenarios. According to data released by QuestMobile, the consumer group of small appliances is mainly concentrated in female users in first-tier cities aged 25-35. They pursue a more refined life and have a special liking for “small and beautiful” products. With the promotion and injection of information through e-commerce and social channels, these inexpensive small household appliances are more likely to trigger impulse purchases among users.

When the novelty faded, these small appliances quickly fell out of favor and flowed into second-hand trading platforms at a discount. Introductions such as “only used 5 times” and “90% new” were everywhere.

The “stay-at-home economy” brought about by the epidemic has spawned a wave of small appliance consumption, but as life returns to normal, it is time to re-examine the small appliance industry.