Becoming an important window into the development of China's consumer electronics industry, this year's Appliance & Electronics World Expo 2026 in March was marked by the deep integration of artificial intelligence across the sector, officials and experts said.

Spanning an exhibition space of 170,000 square meters, the year's AWE displayed tens of thousands of cutting-edge technologies and smart lifestyle solutions to delegates.

"The exhibition offers a panoramic view of achievements made in areas including intelligent terminals, smart mobility, health technology, embodied intelligence, and computing infrastructure, showcasing the latest progress of high-quality development within China's home appliance and consumer electronics industry," said Tao Xiaonian, chairman of the China Household Electrical Appliances Association.

"Just like this year's theme 'Smart AI, Smarter Future' indicated, AI has deeply integrated across the industry. With AI, home appliances are capable of continuous upgrading in functional design, proactive services, multi-device scenario connectivity, and human-computer interaction," Tao said.

According to Tao, breakthroughs in innovative display technologies are blurring the boundaries between the digital world and reality.

For example, smartphones and smart glasses are rapidly emerging as the next generation of personal intelligent devices. Meanwhile, humanoid robots are moving toward commercial applications at an accelerated pace.

As an important part of the light industry, the home appliance sector has achieved impressive results, with retail sales of home appliances exceeding 1.1 trillion yuan ($159.92 billion) in 2025 and hitting a record high, according to Zhang Chonghe, president of the China National Light Industry Council.

"The penetration rate of digital tools in research, development and design has surpassed 85 percent, far above the average level of other industries, making the sector a benchmark for high-end, intelligent and green development in the light industry," Zhang said.

The event also saw the launch of a special committee on household service robots overseen by the China Household Electrical Appliances Association, marking a new phase in ecosystem development for companies across the industry chain.

"The committee addressed common challenges facing the industry, including repetitive data collection, inconsistent technological pathways, and a lack of standards," said Wan Chunhui, deputy secretary-general of the China Household Electrical Appliances Association.

According to Wan, more than 50 companies joined the committee's first batch of members, covering the entire household robotics industry chain, including home appliances, embodied intelligence, companion robots, AI models, AI motion control, chips, new materials, and batteries.

"Leading home appliance companies are taking the lead not only in developing household robot products tailored to specific home needs, but also in providing solutions that upgrade individual smart products into carriers of integrated intelligent services," Zhang said.

According to him, robots for specific scenarios — such as eldercare, cleaning, and companionship — are experiencing rapid growth.

"Producing 55 percent of the world's robots, China is currently the largest robot market globally. Last year, the country produced 18.58 million service robots, a year-on-year increase of 16.1 percent," Zhang said.

Under the central government's guidance of boosting domestic demand, the consumer electronics industry is entering a new phase of growth, as rapid development in the sector continues to blur the boundaries between online and offline consumption, said Yao Yao, head of research for JLL China.

"In Shanghai, the share of newly opened consumer electronics store space among lifestyle stores rose from 21 percent in 2023 to 26 percent in 2025. Leading brands are accelerating their expansion of brick-and-mortar stores, creating technology consumption channels such as immersive experiences and scenario-based marketing, reshaping the connection between consumers and tech products, and effectively boosting in-store consumption," Yao said.

For the first time since its inception in 1992, the event set up two venues this year, putting its combined exhibition space at 170,000 square meters.

It consisted of a 140,000 sq m exhibition area at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, and a newly launched 30,000 sq m space at Shanghai Eastern Hub International Business Cooperation Zone.