Home Appliance Industry "Target Single-Person Households"... Customized Small Products Gain Popularity

An LG Electronics model is introducing the new capsule-type craft beer maker, 'LG HomeBrew'.

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] The home appliance industry is strengthening the launch of customized small-sized products targeting the increasing number of single-person households.

According to the industry on the 20th, Samsung Electronics recently released new small-capacity 'Grande AI' washing machine and dryer models that can be installed even in narrow spaces.

Samsung Electronics stated that they introduced the Grande AI small-capacity model reflecting the trend of rapidly increasing single-person households and consumers' needs for small premium products that can be installed in limited spaces.

The new products consist of a 10kg washing machine and a 9kg dryer, maintaining the differentiated artificial intelligence features unique to Grande AI while enhancing a simple control panel and compact design. It is the first time in six years since 2014 that a 10kg small-capacity washing machine has been introduced domestically.

Compared to existing Grande AI products, the height is reduced by about 22cm when installed in series, and the width is narrowed by about 17cm when installed in parallel, allowing for more efficient use of space.

They are also preparing to launch an ultra-compact cube refrigerator. The cube refrigerator adopts the design of Samsung Electronics' air purifier Wind-Free Cube and is optimized for managing and storing wine, beer, cosmetics, and more.

LG Electronics has introduced a portable air conditioner for single-person households who move frequently. It can be used in narrow spaces where outdoor unit installation is difficult and eliminates the burden of reinstallation.

For those who enjoy drinking alone at home, they also introduced a new capsule-type homebrew craft beer maker. Homebrew automatically carries out the complex and difficult beer-making process from fermentation to maturation and storage with simple dial operation by adding a capsule-type beer ingredient package and water.

According to Statistics Korea, last year, there were 6.15 million single-person households nationwide, accounting for about 30%, the largest share among all households.

An industry official said, "As the number of single-person households increases recently, products suitable for their living spaces are also increasing," adding, "Small-sized new home appliances with new functions are gaining popularity."