MIDEA: KEVIN LIU THE ERT INTERVIEW
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‘Our focus is on developing Midea as a brand in its own right’
Midea, the world’s largest home appliance manufacturer, is shifting from manufacturing powerhouse to challenger brand player in the UK. General Manager, Kevin Liu, tells ERT how the company is leveraging global scale, local expertise, and consumer-driven innovation to bringing UK market brand new solutions and enjoyment.
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hen it comes to the home appliance market, few brands combine global scale with local ambition quite like Midea. Known historically as a
powerhouse in manufacturing and production, the company is now redefining itself as a challenger brand in the UK, aiming to compete in the competition to give UK consumers a better home appliance experience. With a focus on innovation, consumer-centric design, and multi-category expertise, Midea is not only bringing cutting-edge products to market but also reshaping perceptions of what the brand can deliver. Leveraging its global resource network, it promises to make tangible impact on retailers and consumers alike. Kevin Liu, General Manager at Midea UK, speaks with refreshing honesty about the brand’s evolution. “We’re a global organisiation with revenues of around $57.5 billion (£42.5 billion), headquartered in China.
“Historically, we were known for manufacturing for multiple type of partners globally. That part of the business remains hugely important, but over the last 10 years, the strategy has shifted. The focus now is on developing Midea as a brand in its own right.”
An overview This transformation has seen the business establish around 70 subsidiaries worldwide, each tasked with building Midea’s presence in local markets. Alongside the core Midea brand, the company has expanded its portfolio with licensed names such as Toshiba for whole set of home appliances, acquired Eureka in floorcare, and more recently acquired Teka and Küppersbusch in Europe. “In the UK, we’re still at the beginning of our
journey,” says Mr Liu. “We set up the subsidiary around three to four years ago. When I relocated from Germany to the UK just over three years ago to continue this mission, the team was only a
handful of people. Today, it has grown several times over. We’re expanding quickly, but compared to others, we’re still very much a start-up compared to long-established competitors.”
“Part of the challenge is making Midea better known to UK retailers and consumers,” he explains. “Even within the industry, many people only associate us with manufacturing finished goods. They’re not fully aware of the strength of our product innovation, our strong brand reputation in many countries, or the business value created through win-win partnerships. In fact, some industry players don’t realise that over the past few years we’ve already sold a significant volume of products across multiple categories and brands. That data gives us solid proof of our quality and growing market recognition.”
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