Outdoor Power Supplies Surge +215% on China Camping Boom

Executive Summary

China's outdoor camping appliance market reached CN¥ 1.86 billion in Q1 2023 (+14.1% YoY), anchored by portable power stations that transformed from niche emergency products into must-have camping infrastructure. Outdoor power supply CR5 dropped from 41% to 28% as merchant count surged from 519 to 2,835, while ASP rose +31.7% to CN¥ 1,653 --- classic early-stage market dynamics that signal a category still far from consolidation. This analysis explores how the outdoor power ecosystem is evolving and where brand opportunities remain.

Camping Culture Outlasts the Pandemic

The outdoor camping appliance market posted CN¥ 1.86 billion in sales with 14.57 million units sold in Q1 2023, growing +14.1% and +20.6% YoY respectively.^[1] Three years of travel restrictions catalyzed a structural shift toward domestic outdoor recreation --- glamping, suburban hiking, and day trips --- that has outlasted the pandemic itself. This behavioral change created sustained demand for portable appliances across five functional clusters: cooking appliances, audio-visual devices, lighting, power supply, and small household appliances.

Speakers and audio equipment, outdoor lighting (flashlights and headlamps), and outdoor power supplies formed the three largest sub-categories by sales value. The growth pattern follows an "infrastructure first, ecosystem second" dynamic: once portable power became reliable and affordable, secondary categories such as camping lights, Bluetooth speakers, projectors, and portable kettles experienced cascading growth. This mirrors patterns seen in other technology adoption cycles.

Outdoor camping appliance market sustains double-digit growth at +14.1% YoY

Outdoor Power Supplies: Early-Stage Market Dynamics

Outdoor power supply CR5 declined from 41% to 28% in just one year, while merchant count surged from 519 to 2,835 --- a +446% increase.^[1] Product SKUs expanded from 1,360 to 7,533, a +454% increase in product variety. These metrics define a classic early-stage market: rapid fragmentation, intense new-entrant activity, and competitive positioning ahead of inevitable consolidation.

Despite the fragmenting competitive landscape, ASP rose from CN¥ 1,255 to CN¥ 1,653 (+31.7%). This counterintuitive dynamic reflects consumer demand for higher-capacity portable power stations --- as users gained experience with outdoor power, they traded up to products with greater watt-hour ratings. Brands such as EcoFlow (电小二) and Zendure (正浩) continued to invest heavily in social media marketing across Douyin (抖音), Weibo (微博), and Xiaohongshu (小红书), collaborating with camping, travel, automotive, and photography influencers to build brand awareness through scenario-based content.

New entrants including Dals Tech and Yuanpai are further diversifying the landscape. Moojing Market Intelligence projects that Tmall (天猫) and Taobao (淘宝) outdoor power supply sales will reach CN¥ 1.7 billion for the full year 2023.^[2]

CR5 drops from 41% to 28% as new players flood the outdoor power market

Consumer Profile: Young Urban Adults Driving Demand

Social media analysis reveals a clear consumer profile for outdoor power supply buyers:

• Demographics: Predominantly aged 31-35, split 57% male and 43% female
• Geography: Concentrated in Beijing, Guangdong, and the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai corridor
• Content interests: Automotive, travel, and food content
• Purchase decision factors: Portability, battery life, charging speed, size, appearance design, product utility, and weight

High-capacity long-lasting power, fast charging, and compact portable design dominate the consumer conversation. The demographic skew toward young urban professionals in Tier 1 cities aligns with the broader glamping and outdoor lifestyle trend.

Camping Lights: Fragmented but Growing

The camping light segment provides a contrasting case study within the outdoor ecosystem. Nearly 1,500 new merchants entered in Q1 2023, bringing the total to over 5,000 active players --- reflecting the category's relatively low barriers to entry. Product diversity reached approximately 13,000 SKUs. CR5 declined slightly but remained around 20%, while ASP stabilized in the CN¥ 70-90 range.

Camping light merchant count grows +40% as new entrants target outdoor lifestyle trend

Key Takeaways

• China's outdoor camping appliance market reached CN¥ 1.86 billion in Q1 2023 (+14.1% YoY), confirming the shift from pandemic-driven trend to structural lifestyle change
• Outdoor power supply merchants surged from 519 to 2,835 (+446%) while CR5 dropped from 41% to 28%, signaling a classic early-stage market with consolidation opportunities ahead
• ASP rose +31.7% to CN¥ 1,653 as consumers traded up to higher-capacity portable power stations
• Camping lights reached 5,000+ merchants with low barriers to entry (ASP CN¥ 74) and serve two distinct segments: lifestyle and professional outdoor
• The outdoor appliance ecosystem follows an "infrastructure first, ecosystem second" pattern, with portable power enabling cascading growth across secondary categories

## About the Data

This analysis draws on Moojing Market Intelligence data covering Q1 2023.

Moojing tracks 400,000+ brands across 30+ e-commerce platforms,

representing 58-65% of China's online retail GMV. For full methodology

and additional insights, see the complete Home Appliances whitepaper.