BUSINESS

Samsung Retreats From China’s Appliance Market to Focus on Chips, Phones

Published: May. 7, 2026 12:41 p.m. GMT+8

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Samsung (China) Investment Co. Ltd. said that it will stop selling home appliances on the Chinese mainland, abandoning a market it once dominated to focus its operations on mobile phones, semiconductors and medical equipment.

The retreat underscores how Chinese brands have cut into the market share of their foreign competitors, prompting the South Korean tech giant to double down on its profitable chip and artificial intelligence-powered smartphone businesses.

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Samsung stops selling home appliances (TVs, fridges, washers, ACs) in China, focusing on mobiles, semiconductors, medical equipment; maintains after-sales.
Appliance division lost 200B KRW ($138M) in 2025; China entity net profit fell 44% to 168.1B won; tiny shares (TV 3.62%).
Locals took 94.1% TV market (32.9M units, 2025); Samsung eyes Galaxy AI, chip ops in Xi'an/Suzhou.

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Who’s Who

Samsung (China) Investment Co. Ltd.: Samsung (China) Investment Co. Ltd. will stop selling home appliances (TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners) on Chinese mainland to focus on mobile phones, semiconductors, and medical equipment. It continues mobile sales and after-sales services. In 2025, its net profit plunged 44% to 168.1 billion won amid losses in visual display/digital appliance divisions.

Beijing Runto Technology Co. Ltd.: Beijing Runto Technology Co. Ltd. is a market research firm cited in the article. It reported that total TV shipments in China reached 32.9 million units in 2025, with eight domestic brands (e.g., Hisense, TCL) claiming 31 million units or 94.1% market share, while foreign brands like Samsung and Sony fell below 1 million units.

Hisense: Hisense is one of eight homegrown Chinese brands (including TCL) that dominated China's TV market in 2025, accounting for 94.1% of shipments (31 million out of 32.9 million units).

TCL: TCL is one of eight homegrown Chinese brands, including Hisense, that dominated China's TV market in 2025, accounting for 31 million units or 94.1% of total shipments (32.9 million). Foreign brands like Samsung fell below 1 million units.

Sony: In 2025, Sony was among four major foreign TV brands (including Samsung) whose total shipments in China plummeted below 1 million units, capturing less than 6% of the market dominated by domestic players like Hisense and TCL (94.1% share).

All View Cloud: All View Cloud is a data provider cited in the article for Samsung's shrinking Chinese market shares: offline TV at 3.62%, refrigerators at 0.41%, and washing machines at 0.38% (Jan-early Apr). It co-authored a report with CHEAA.com on industry stagnation due to supply-demand mismatch and demand for smart home solutions.

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