SHANGHAI/BANGKOK — Chinese consumer brands are accelerating their expansion in Southeast Asia by acquiring rivals and leveraging online sales channels, pushing deeper into home appliance and cosmetics markets once dominated by Japanese, South Korean and European companies.
Like their compatriots in the vehicle and smartphone sectors, brands such as Haier and lesser-known brands have rapidly expanded in the region, partially driven by intensifying competition, production overcapacity in China, and the strength of e-commerce platforms.
