In line with the central government's directives and the 15th Five-Year Plan's goals for enriching smart home scenarios and supporting the renovation and intelligent upgrade of older residences, the Ministry of Commerce, along with seven other departments, has recently issued an action plan designed to stimulate consumption in the smart home sector and broaden the supply of high-quality products to meet the diverse needs of consumers.

The plan outlines seven key areas of focus: increasing the availability of premium smart home offerings, refining the industry's standards framework, bolstering consumer spending incentives, advancing elderly-friendly smart home solutions, streamlining the recycling service chain, enhancing community-based convenience services, and strengthening fiscal and financial support mechanisms.

To expand the supply of high-quality smart home products, the initiative encourages manufacturers to intensify their research and development efforts. It also supports furniture malls and shopping centers in establishing experience hubs, whole-home intelligence showrooms, and model apartments for digital households. Additionally, efforts will be made to cultivate large, reputable home renovation companies and platforms that offer personalized and diverse decoration packages, while promoting customized, order-based, and appointment-based services. The plan also aims to accelerate the development of smart home hardware, software, and integrated solutions built on domestic open-source operating systems.

For perfecting the standards system, the plan calls for the creation of a comprehensive evaluation framework for smart home product intelligence levels. It prioritizes the rapid establishment and implementation of mandatory national standards for device interoperability and integration, aiming for seamless whole-home intelligence. Furthermore, telecommunications operators are encouraged to enable IPv6 by default on home broadband equipment to boost network connectivity rates. Newly built, fully-furnished residences will be required to include basic smart products, with incentives for installing fiber optics directly into rooms. The development and application of key standards for smart homes and smart communities will be a continuing priority.

Regarding consumer support, in accordance with the 2026 policy for trade-in programs on consumer goods, local governments are authorized to determine appropriate subsidy categories and levels for smart home products based on their specific circumstances. Comprehensive support will be provided for the purchase of new whole-home intelligent systems.

For the development of age-friendly smart home devices, the plan promotes products like home service robots, health monitoring tools, and intelligent caregiving equipment. Companies are encouraged to adopt senior-friendly designs concerning product dimensions, ease of operation, dialect recognition, and safety features. The supply of such products and related home improvement services will be enriched, with a push to introduce certification programs for silver-economy products in this sector.

To smooth out the recycling service chain, authorities will guide local regions in strategically establishing collection points for used home furnishings, integrating these networks into relevant planning frameworks and providing necessary land and spatial support. Collaboration between home furnishing companies and recycling firms will be encouraged to offer services like "delivery of new items plus retrieval of old ones" and "internet plus recycling," as well as promoting mobile collection models using vehicles.

For optimizing community convenience services, the plan leverages the "15-minute convenience life circle" initiative. Leading enterprises will play a pivotal role in setting up comprehensive home renewal service stations in qualified neighborhoods and communities. These stations will consolidate services such as maintenance, storage, and replacement services, while also creating spaces for experiencing whole-home intelligence.

Finally, to boost fiscal and financial backing, financial institutions are encouraged to develop a diverse array of consumer finance products tailored to home renovation demands. The policy of providing fiscal interest subsidies on personal consumption loans will be utilized to guide lenders towards increasing support for smart home purchases, actively helping consumers finance their acquisition of smart home products.