A single piece of online air conditioner sales data has stirred up waves in the home appliance market. XIAOMI-W and Gree Electric Appliances, one a challenger and the other an industry giant, have become embroiled in a public debate over "who ranks second." The core of this controversy extends beyond just the ranking dispute between two companies—it relates to the competitive landscape of the entire home appliance market.

On August 15, digital blogger "Xiaochun Brother XCG" published a screenshot citing data from Aowei Cloud Network, claiming that XIAOMI-W's air conditioner online sales had surpassed Gree Electric Appliances in July, ranking second. The news quickly gained traction. XIAOMI-W Group Partner and President Lu Weibing promptly reposted and commented: "Solid capability improvements lead to high-quality growth." Xiaomi's PR department head Wang Hua also reposted a Weibo from "New Trend Electronics" executive editor Xu Lin, stating "Didn't expect the new era to arrive so quickly."

On the evening of August 18, Gree Electric Appliances launched a counterattack. Market Director Zhu Lei posted on Weibo that under the same query conditions, Gree Electric Appliances still led the July online market, directly attaching a screenshot with different ranking data as evidence.

That same evening, the original blogger "Xiaochun Brother XCG" stepped forward to clarify. He explained that the ranking discrepancy resulted from Aowei Cloud Network changing its data statistical methodology, not from any falsification. He posted two images as proof: "Currently (the system) shows the ranking as Midea, Gree Electric Appliances, XIAOMI-W. What I previously posted showed Midea, XIAOMI-W, Gree Electric Appliances."

As of publication, Aowei Cloud Network has not responded to this matter.

Beyond single-month data fluctuations, the market is more concerned about the industry trends this reflects. One fact is that while Midea and Gree Electric Appliances still maintain dominance, their growth has stagnated. In contrast, XIAOMI-W's growth has been rapid, with its omni-channel market share showing significant improvement over one year.

In the first quarter, XIAOMI-W's major home appliance business revenue achieved double-digit growth. Air conditioner shipments exceeded 1.1 million units, growing over 65% year-on-year, achieving "strong growth in the off-season."

Industry analysis attributes XIAOMI-W's rapid growth to several factors:

Cost-effectiveness and "flagship product" strategy: XIAOMI-W has extended its smartphone market approach, trading relatively low profit margins for market scale. By reducing product SKUs and concentrating resources on creating hit products, it lowers procurement and production costs.

"People-Car-Home ecosystem": Data shows 70% of XIAOMI-W air conditioner users utilize smart connectivity features, far exceeding traditional brands. Through the Mi Home app and voice assistants, air conditioners integrate into smart home scenarios, offering convenient experiences that appeal to young consumers.

From channel and model innovation perspectives, XIAOMI-W primarily focuses on online direct sales and offline "Xiaomi Stores," bypassing traditional multi-tier distributor models. Meanwhile, XIAOMI-W is building its own factory in Wuhan, transitioning from early OEM models toward self-research and self-production to shed the "private label" impression.

Facing XIAOMI-W's publicity offensive, some long-term Gree Electric Appliances investors have expressed caution. They believe XIAOMI-W executives' promotion involves "selective narrative" and "data opportunism" suspicions.

Some investors point out that even looking at Aowei Cloud Network data, if examining sales revenue—which better reflects market position—Gree Electric Appliances still leads XIAOMI-W. In their view, XIAOMI-W's unilateral focus on sales volume data while announcing a "new era" constitutes "trampling marketing," aimed at creating an image of Gree Electric Appliances' "decline" to mislead consumers and potentially disrupt the competitive market environment.

Based on these concerns, some investors strongly suggest Gree Electric Appliances management should be vigilant about such "data propaganda warfare" and mount forceful counterattacks to set the record straight. They even propose that Gree Electric Appliances should use more audited proprietary data for external disclosure to address potential accuracy issues with third-party data.

This debate is also seen as a continuation of the long-term competition between Gree Electric Appliances and XIAOMI-W. Gree Electric Appliances Chairman Dong Mingzhu has repeatedly publicly criticized XIAOMI-W's low-price and OEM models. This time, XIAOMI-W executives' behavior is viewed by the market as a counterattack. Previously, when Lu Weibing announced the goal to "become a leading Chinese home appliance brand by 2030," he mentioned Midea and Haier as benchmark companies while notably "omitting" Gree Electric Appliances, creating a provocative atmosphere.

Ultimately, this controversy triggered by changes in data methodology carries significance beyond the data itself. It reflects two development paths in the home appliance industry: one side represents traditional manufacturers excelling in technology and omni-channel approaches, while the other represents emerging forces relying on ecosystem and model innovation.

Regardless of the true nature of July's data, XIAOMI-W as a "catfish" has already stirred up the air conditioner market. Whether traditional giants' "moats" remain solid will be a continued focus of market attention.