Outdoor Power Stations Surge 215% on China's Camping Boom

Executive Summary#

Portable outdoor power stations were one of the fastest-growing categories of Q1 2023, with sales up 215.1% YoY to CN¥ 285 million and social media voice up by more than 100%.^[1] The category grew as part of a wider outdoor recreation boom, in which camping equipment rose 30.8% to CN¥ 2.28 billion, outdoor apparel 25.3% to CN¥ 2.50 billion and skiing equipment 56.6% to CN¥ 666 million. This analysis looks at how the post-pandemic interest in the outdoors created demand for power away from the grid, and at the overlap between camping culture and emergency preparedness. It also looks at the cost-effectiveness of domestic brands, which nearly 80% of consumers in a survey gave as their main reason for choosing them.

The Outdoor Segment: Broad Growth in Q1 2023#

Growth in the outdoor segment was the most broadly based of the seven segments analysed in Q1 2023, with most of its sub-categories growing year-on-year (YoY), among them fishing rods, which grew 134.4%. We believe this reflects the post-pandemic outdoor recreation boom in China, as consumers looked for experiences in nature after long periods confined to cities.

Power Stations: Electricity Away from the Grid#

Portable outdoor power stations reached ~CN¥ 285 million in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) in Q1 2023, with YoY growth of 215.1%. The category is still small within the outdoor segment. Its growth, together with social media voice that rose by more than 100% YoY over the same period, makes it one of the most dynamic emerging product categories among the outdoor concepts we analysed.

The category meets a basic need of outdoor enthusiasts, which is reliable electrical power away from the grid, and its products cover a wide range of capacities:

• Compact units suitable for charging phones, laptops, and portable speakers
• Mid-range stations powering portable lighting, cooking equipment, and camping fans
• High-capacity stations capable of running portable refrigerators, electric cookers, and CPAP machines

This range of capacities also makes power stations useful for emergency preparedness, which widens the market well beyond recreational campers. We believe the spread of camping culture, together with growing consumer awareness of portable energy products, created the conditions for the category's growth.

Domestic Brands Win on Cost-Effectiveness#

The growth of outdoor power stations coincides with one of the defining consumer trends of Q1 2023, the rise of cost-effective domestic brands. In consumer survey data from Accenture Research, nearly 80% of consumers cite "cost-effectiveness" as their main reason for choosing Chinese brands, well ahead of national pride as a purchase driver.

Complementary Growth Categories: The Camping Ecosystem Expands#

Power stations grew alongside several related emerging concepts that also gained momentum in Q1 2023, which together point to an expanding camping ecosystem:

• Land surfboards grew 215.6% to CN¥ 72 million, drawing on young consumers' appetite for new outdoor activities
• Portable camping lights grew 75.0% to CN¥ 31 million, benefiting directly from the camping boom
• Travel kettles grew by more than 28%, which reflects outdoor consumers' demand for convenience accessories
• Wireless magnetic charging devices also grew by more than 28%, bringing some of the comforts of home to the campsite

These categories have in common that they bring elements of home comfort to settings away from the grid. Power stations make many of these products usable outdoors, so we believe the adoption of power stations and the demand for electrical camping accessories are likely to support each other.

The Cultural Confidence Connection#

The outdoor boom coincides with a wider cultural trend, the growing cultural self-confidence of Chinese consumers. Japan and South Korea offer useful parallels, since both countries saw young people's enthusiasm for local culture and outdoor recreation rise after their GDP per capita passed US$ 10,000.^[2] China crossed this threshold in 2019, and the cultural confidence movement that followed has since grown stronger across consumer categories.

In the outdoor segment, this shows in consumers choosing domestic outdoor brands that reflect Chinese design sensibilities and usage patterns. We believe rising cultural confidence and the post-pandemic desire for time in nature, together with the cost-effectiveness of domestic brands, have given the segment strong momentum.

Key Takeaways#

• Outdoor power station sales grew 215.1% YoY to CN¥ 285 million, and social media voice grew by more than 100%
• Growth in the outdoor segment was the most broadly based of the seven segments, with camping equipment up 30.8% and outdoor apparel up 25.3%
• Nearly 80% of surveyed consumers choose domestic brands mainly for cost-effectiveness, which benefits domestic power station manufacturers
• Related categories, among them land surfboards (+215.6%), camping lights (+75.0%) and travel kettles (+28%), are expanding the camping ecosystem
• Cultural confidence and post-pandemic enthusiasm for the outdoors are creating durable structural demand that should outlast a single season

## About the Data

This analysis draws on Moojing Market Intelligence data covering Q1 2023. Moojing analyses brand and category performance across major Chinese e-commerce platforms. For full methodology and additional insights, see the complete Consumer Trends whitepaper.