To stimulate consumer demand, the consumer goods trade-in policy will be expanded and upgraded in 2026. On January 14th, the Ministry of Commerce and seven other departments recently issued a notice on the 2026 consumer goods trade-in policy (hereinafter referred to as the “Notice”). The new policy, while continuing support for traditional home appliances, for the first time includes smart home and age-friendly home products in the scope of central government subsidies, injecting new impetus into the industry’s transformation and upgrading.
The Notice shows that the core of the 2026 policy presents a dual-track characteristic of national uniformity and local autonomy. The national policy uniformly clarifies the subsidy standards, implementation methods, and other requirements for four areas: six categories of home appliances (refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, air conditioners, computers, and water heaters) and four categories of digital and smart products (mobile phones, tablets, smartwatches/bands, and smart glasses). Local governments are prohibited from unilaterally changing the subsidy categories or adjusting the subsidy standards.
It is worth noting that the most significant breakthrough of the 2026 policy is the formal inclusion of smart home and age-friendly home products within the scope of central government subsidies, while granting local governments more autonomy. Local governments can independently formulate and implement subsidy policies within the framework of the consumer goods trade-in policy, with a focus on supporting the next-generation smart terminals specified in the State Council’s “Artificial Intelligence +” action plan. In addition to implementing the nationally unified subsidy policies in the four areas, central government support funds can also be used by local governments to support subsidies for the purchase of new smart home products (including age-friendly home products). Data from the Ministry of Commerce shows that in 2025, sales of trade-in related goods exceeded 2.6 trillion yuan, benefiting over 360 million people.
Behind the favorable policies lies the continuously growing consumer demand in the home furnishing market. As China’s housing market enters the era of existing stock, renovation of old houses has become one of the mainstream scenarios for home furnishing consumption. In the scenario of existing housing renovation, consumers’ requirements for living quality are constantly increasing, with greening, intelligence, and age-friendliness becoming core demands. Many owners of old houses will prioritize smart door locks, smart lighting, and age-friendly bathroom products when renovating. At the same time, market attention to intelligent home products is continuously rising, and the demand for age-friendly products is also constantly increasing.
The 2026 trade-in policy explicitly supports intelligence and age-friendliness, outlining a clear transformation path for the home furnishing industry.
Driven by both the continued release of policy dividends and market demand, the home furnishing industry is accelerating the formation of a development pattern supported by smart technology and guided by the needs of the elderly, promoting the transformation of smart technology and age-friendly design from conceptualization to large-scale popularization. With policy support, smart home technology will achieve a profound leap from “single-product intelligence” to “whole-house interconnection,” and the age-friendly home furnishing market is also transforming from a “niche demand” to a “mass necessity.”
In fact, with the implementation of policies, smart technology and age-friendly design will be deeply integrated, giving rise to more innovative products and service models. Regarding the industry’s development prospects, Qin Zhanxue, president of the China Building Materials Circulation Association, stated that the precise empowerment of policies makes smart homes and age-friendly design a strategic development direction for the home furnishing industry. Their deep integration will not only meet the diverse home needs of the elderly but also promote supply-side structural reform in the industry.
