“The entire industry’s enthusiasm for rock slabs reminds people of microcrystalline stone 10 years ago.” Zhongtaojun has heard similar statements many times from people in the industry. And for what reasons did they put forward this point of view? What kind of meaning does this sentence contain? Everything starts with the category of microcrystalline stone.
Around 2009, a product revolution took place in the building ceramics industry. A kind of "microcrystalline composite board" created a blue ocean by virtue of its expressiveness that surpassed traditional ceramic tiles. From 2010 to 2012, microcrystalline stone, which was in the limelight, was the same as the current rock slab, occupying the C position at the Foshan Ceramics Expo for several consecutive years. This "microcrystal trend" has even swept the national terminal market. However, such a ceramic tile category, which was regarded as the "proud one of heaven", was rejected by the market in just a few years. It was hard to find a trace starting from the 25th Foshan Ceramics Expo, and eventually fell from the altar.
So, those who are optimistic about rock slabs today will think that "the market prospects of rock slabs are broad and have great potential"; those who are not optimistic about rock slabs will take microcrystalline stone as a lesson and think that "the rise of rock slabs is just a flash in the pan. In the end, Or it will end up like microcrystalline stone."
Zhong Taojun believes that there are similarities and differences between the two. Since rock slabs and microcrystalline stones are compared today, the correlation between the two should be analyzed from a deeper level.
Similar
1. Production capacity explosion
The national ceramic tile production capacity survey results of "Ceramic Information" show that as of the end of 2014, a total of 65 microcrystalline stone production lines have been built across the country (including 35 in Guangdong). Some industry insiders estimate that the annual output value of microcrystalline stone in 2010 will reach approximately 2 billion.
From the beginning, companies such as Jiajun and Bode took microcrystalline stone as their flagship product; later, companies such as Dongpeng and Oceano increased their focus; Xinzhongyuan Group even launched a professional microcrystalline stone brand for this purpose ——"European Star". In its heyday, many brands on the market directly changed their logos to a combination of "brand name + microcrystalline stone".
At that time, microcrystalline stone was one of the products with the highest added value. According to incomplete statistics, the highest terminal selling price of microcrystalline stone ranged from 1,000-2,000 yuan/㎡, and the ex-factory price generally remained at 110-130 yuan/㎡. The group of people who were the first to eat crabs were smilingThe field of crystal stones can be said to be very profitable. With the joint promotion of manufacturers, it is not surprising that microcrystal stones are showing a "crazy" development trend.
From this point of view, the start of the rock slab is too similar to that of the microcrystalline stone.
From 2017 to 2019, foreign brands such as Desais and Lamina began to introduce the concept of slate. In China, only companies such as Gold Medal, Mona Lisa, New Pearl, and Inno are producing slate on a large scale. It is said that the ex-factory price of rock slabs at that time was generally around 200 yuan/㎡. Some people tasted the benefits in the front, and a large number of companies later flocked to buy equipment and invest in building production lines.
Relevant data shows that there were less than 30 slate production lines nationwide in 2019; by 2020, this number exceeded 100; in the first half of 2021, there were 150 slate production lines nationwide. According to media statistics, as of June 2021, China has built a total of 92 slate production lines capable of producing 1200×2400mm and above specifications.
2. Inventory backlog
Like a hangover headache, inventory backlog is the inevitable result of crazy production.
Let’s talk about microcrystalline stones first. When the black and white gray style was on the rise, some companies did not accurately judge the market direction, resulting in overproduction of microcrystalline stones. In 2015, some media reported that there were approximately 10 million boxes of microcrystalline stones in stock on the market.
This amount is actually not an exaggeration at all. In 2020, the People's Court of Nanhai District, Foshan City conducted a public auction on a batch of microcrystalline bricks from a factory in Zhaoqing on the Ali auction platform. A total of 22,159 boxes were produced. Most of the production dates were 2014-2016, and the listed price was only 30.12 Yuan/piece.
In 2019, China Ceramics Network conducted a ceramic tile market survey in Suzhou, Wuxi, and Changzhou, Jiangsu, and learned that more than one ceramic tile dealer said that there were still millions of microcrystalline stones in stock in their warehouses. Even if it is sold at a loss price of 50-60 yuan/piece, it is still difficult to digest. A dealer from Fujian said that he would rather send the whole cabinet of these microcrystalline bricks back to Quanzhou to be used for the decoration of self-built houses of relatives and friends, rather than deal with them at such a low price.
While we feel sorry for the microcrystalline stones, we look back at the rock slabs and it is equally sad.
Informed sources revealed that in June this year, some slate manufacturers have already liquidated their stocks and even suspended production, and some companies have delayed the start of new production lines. Especially when the situation of "more monks and less rice" becomes more and more serious, large orders worth tens of millions are no longer enough for enterprises.It was once extremely rare, and the "100-billion-dollar slate market" shouted by the industry seems hollow and ethereal at this moment.
Deng Shaoqing, general manager of Ouwenlai Slate Marketing Center, once questioned: The current application of slate in the field of home decoration has not yet become popular. There are very few on walls and floors. It is only used on background walls and home countertops, so what? Can it absorb the current huge production capacity? If the product is not actually used in consumers' homes, then these slate slabs will just be transferred from the manufacturer's warehouse to the warehouse of the B-end merchant.
3. Price Diving
"Price involution" can be regarded as a specialty of construction and ceramics companies when facing competition. Especially when decision makers face a large number of unsaleable goods in warehouses, it seems reasonable to sacrifice part of their profits in exchange for survival space. Microcrystalline stone also began to degrade itself from this time.
Initially, the thickness of the crystallized glass on the surface of the microcrystal stone was 3-5mm. Later, thin crystallites slowly appeared. The thickness of the surface of the product was only 1-3mm. In addition, at first, the thickness of the microcrystalline The production process of stone is mostly two-step firing. Due to the high technical cost of two-step firing, most companies have changed to one-time quick firing. The emergence of one-time fast burning + thin microcrystals has simplified the production process of microcrystalline stones, greatly reduced production costs, and the added value and price of products have plummeted.
If the emergence of quick-fire + thin microcrystals has pushed this type of products to the third- and fourth-tier markets, then the rush to put them into production in major production areas has further accelerated the fierce price competition. With the popularization of production technology, the trend of microcrystalline stones has spread rapidly from Foshan to the construction ceramic production areas across the country. Companies in Fujian, Shandong, Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan and other production areas are rushing to launch microcrystalline stones, and they have great potential to catch up with Foshan. .
As we all know, production areas have unique geographical advantages, logistics advantages and cost advantages over the surrounding markets. Therefore, once companies in the production areas take action, the price system of the terminal market will inevitably be destroyed. It is understood that at that time, the price of microcrystalline stone products of a well-known brand in Foshan after discounts in terminal stores was about 400-500 yuan/piece. In the mid-to-low-end market of the same city, microcrystalline stone products with a specification of 800×800mm were sold The price is only 60-70 yuan/piece.
In the face of price shopping, slate is not immune. In just one year, the ex-factory price of rock slabs has dropped from three digits to below two digits, with some companies even selling for 40 yuan/㎡. In this regard, some industry insiders joked: "While the goods ordered by customers are still on the production line, the price of slate slabs here has already dropped." There are even some companies in other production areas that sell large slabs of 750×1500mm as rock slabs, with the ex-factory price being only 30 yuan/piece.
4. After-sales Thunder
"There are 206 microcrystalline tiles laid in the home, and 90% of them have cracks of varying degrees before moving in.", "Only two or three months have passed since the microcrystalline tiles were laid, and cracks like broken glass appeared on most of the tiles. There are even more than a dozen of the same white cracks in one brick. "I spent more than 30,000 yuan to order a set of microcrystalline stones, but I found problems such as cracking and bubbling before using them." News about cracks appearing after paving are frequently reported in the newspapers, which can be said to have greatly affected the reputation of microcrystalline stones among consumer groups.
New categories lack industry standards, and the quality of products produced by large and small companies varies. Some manufacturers even lower production standards and relax quality control in order to save finished products. When a series of low-quality products flow to the market, it will inevitably lead to Overwhelming after-sales problems.
History is always surprisingly similar. Today, when we searched for rock slabs on the Black Cat complaint platform, we could directly search for 133 complaints, including many after-sales problems such as damage, cracking, chipping, etc. of rock slab products. Even due to the confusion of some businesses, consumers have become increasingly confused about slate and large slabs. Frankly speaking, this is a pitfall.
Seeing this, it is not difficult to find that the similarity in the development process of rock slabs and microcrystalline stones is no coincidence. Production capacity exploded → inventory backlog → price plunge → after-sales thunderstorm. This chain reaction is not so much the building ceramics industry. It is a common problem, rather it is the helplessness of ceramic enterprises. After all, most of the owners of ceramic enterprises have a particularly persistent concept: "Once production starts to be scheduled, the kiln must not stop."
Different
After talking about the similarities, let’s analyze the differences between the two.
First, product performance is different. As for the nature of the two products, microcrystalline stone and slate, Liang Juncheng, brand marketing director of Xinzhongyuan Ceramics Enterprise Group, believes: "Microcrystalline stone is a tuyere-type product, and slate is a practical product."
From the practical performance of the product, microcrystalline stone is a composite solid material containing a large number of microcrystals and glass bodies. Although the surface is extremely bright, it is extremely wear-resistant and easily scratched. In terms of decorative properties, after the introduction of the classic microcrystalline self-colored crystals (commonly known as "popcorn"), microcrystalline stones have not made any particularly big innovations and designs in color.Breakthrough, and this magnificent product is no longer suitable for the current modern minimalist price style.
In contrast, rock slabs have excellent physical properties such as high hardness, wear resistance, high temperature resistance, acid and alkali resistance, anti-fouling, and impact resistance; not to mention decorative properties, rock slabs not only replicate the characteristics of natural stone Textures are also changing with each passing day in terms of craft finishes, and their textures and textures are constantly making breakthroughs.
Therefore, from the perspective of product performance, the life cycle of rock slabs is destined to be longer than that of microcrystalline stones.
Second, product positioning is different. Some people may be confused. Although rock slabs and microcrystalline stones are both very expensive, why do they have different positioning? In fact, the reasons for the high selling prices of the two are completely different.
The style of microcrystalline stone products itself is more towards magnificent high-end decoration, and requires high pricing to target the "top of the pyramid" customer group. When the concept of microcrystalline stone was "hyped" into a luxury product, the price was once higher than the ceiling of building ceramic products. This is undoubtedly a phenomenon that manufacturers and dealers like to see.
The high price of slate terminals is not a situation that manufacturers want to see. Due to the high service costs of logistics, transportation, construction, paving and other services, the transaction price of rock slabs at the consumer end remains high. Currently, some manufacturers are looking for ways to open up the service system to reduce the service costs of rock slabs and make them more affordable. Ordinary families can afford rock slabs.
From the perspective of product positioning, microcrystalline stone is destined to be a niche product, while rock slabs will only become more and more popular.
Third, the scope of application is different. The application scope of a product is closely related to the performance and positioning of the product to a certain extent.
“Microcrystalline stones are used to improve the appearance of the store, and it is difficult to increase sales.” According to the dealer’s description, the role played by microcrystalline stones in the market back then was closer to “appearance responsibility” because it was impatient. Due to the problem of grinding and high price, ordinary families will only use it for background walls at most, and only a few people will use it for floor laying.
It goes without saying that rock slabs have a wide range of applications. Walls and floors, home countertops, cabinet door panels...Stone slabs are recognized as cross-border tools in the building and ceramics industry. At present, many companies have launched the concept of whole-house slate customization.
From the perspective of application scope, microcrystalline stone will be replaced by other categories, while rock slabs can replace other materials.
Fourth, the channel layout is different. As a traditional building ceramics product, the channel layout of microcrystalline stone is completely different from that of rock slabs, an emerging cross-border product.
In the years when microcrystalline stone was born and became popular, the market channels in the building ceramics industry had not yet undergone fission and divergence like they do now. The main sales channel for the company's products was also the dealer system. Therefore, the development of the microcrystalline stone market relies too much on the promotion of terminal dealers.
In the current era of fine decoration and complete decoration, arranging multiple sales channels has become a required course for enterprises. Coupled with the particularity of the application fields of slate products, in addition to traditional ceramic tile dealer channels, slate has developed a new There are multiple large B-end channels where manufacturers directly cooperate with stone dealers, customizers and even real estate developers.
From the perspective of channel layout, the sales of microcrystalline stone only stay in the A field, while the slate has developed the market in the A+B+C+D field.
Fifth, the development directions are different. As time goes by, companies aiming for short-term profits have gradually withdrawn from the microcrystalline stone camp, but how the slate industry will be optimized and reshuffled is still full of unknowns.
"The number of microcrystalline stone product manufacturers will gradually decrease, and the production capacity will gradually decrease. The product will go from popular to niche again.", "The life cycle of a product is 3-5 years, and microcrystalline stone's crazy long-term It has passed, and it will return to the top of the tower. "...Now, these predictions about microcrystalline stones have been fulfilled one by one. Currently, only a few companies including Bode are left in the industry to promote fine jade products, and other microcrystalline stones. Stone brands have transformed or disappeared.
"Only a plate production supplier", "One-stop service for finished products", "A slate home furnishing service provider", "Taking the route of high-end slate brand", "Tiles slate, slate tiles", "Doing engineering projects and prefabricated buildings"... Regardless of whether these paths are feasible, at least slate companies have found their own way of survival and are developing in a diversified direction.
From the perspective of development, the future of rock slabs is even more worth looking forward to.
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Using history as a mirror, we can know the ups and downs. Microcrystalline stone has been replaced by new categories and has become a thing of the past in the development of building ceramics. Will rock slabs follow the old path of microcrystalline stone?
In any case, before anything becomes a foregone conclusion, the industry should seriously considerWhen it comes to slate, just as He Gan, chairman and general manager of Jinyitao Ceramics Group, said, "Please cherish the slate."
(Author: Hong Xiaochun)
