The lighting industry is mired in "involution"; where exactly lies the way out?
Intensification of "involution" in the lighting industry:
Export "trading price for volume", domestic demand quality under pressure
As an important branch of traditional manufacturing, the lighting industry is facing the impact of "involutionary" competition. With the widespread adoption of LED lighting products, the industry presents a "large market, small enterprises" pattern—characterized by a large number of small-scale, highly dispersed companies, coexistence of excess low-end production capacity and insufficient high-end supply; coupled with multiple pressures such as a sluggish international market and untapped domestic consumption potential, the industry has shown a significant downward trend since 2024, with the feature of "externalizing involution" being particularly prominent.
Export side: Customs data shows that since 2022, the average export price of China's lighting products has continued to decline. By 2024, the average price of over 80% of exported products decreased Year-on-year (YoY), and "trading price for volume" has significantly compressed corporate profit margins.
Domestic demand side: The mismatch between domestic market consumption upgrade demands and supply quality has become prominent. National supervision spot checks in 2024 showed that the non-compliance rates for key online-sold products such as fixed general purpose luminaires, portable general purpose luminaires, and recessed luminaires reached 53%, 30%, and 45% respectively. Quality issues have become a key bottleneck restricting the release of consumption potential.
Benefit side: Data from the National Bureau of Statistics further confirms the industry's dilemma—in 2024, the total profit of lighting enterprises above designated size decreased by about 6.8% Year-on-year (YoY), and the Revenue profit margin was only 5.1% (0.29 percentage points lower than the national industrial average and 1.44 percentage points lower than the light industry); the number of loss-making enterprises increased by 13% YoY, and the loss amount rose by 28%, putting unprecedented pressure on business operations.
Path to Breakthrough:
Driving Industry Upgrading with “Standards + Quality”
How to break the deadlock of “involutionary” competition? Luo Wen proposes a clear path in his article: adhere to problem-oriented approaches to purify the market ecosystem, promote enterprise innovation through “progress amid governance,” and enhance governance effectiveness through diversified measures. This direction aligns closely with the strategic deployments in the Outline for the Development of National Standardization and the Outline for Building a Quality Powerhouse, which emphasize “enhancing industry standardization levels” and “strengthening industry quality competitiveness.”
In this context, China Association of Lighting Industry（中国照明电器协会） will organize the First Lighting Appliance Industry Standards and Quality Conference on July 15, 2024, focusing on “standards as the foundation, innovation-driven development, and quality empowerment.” The event will address industry pain points, gather policy, technical, and market resources, promote the dual-wheel drive of standards and quality, and support the green, low-carbon, and sustainable development of the industry.
Conference Highlights Preview:
Empowering the entire chain of policy, technology, and practice
This conference is hosted by the China Association of Lighting Industry (CALI), and co-organized by the National Electric Light Source Quality Supervision and Inspection Center (Beijing) and the National Luminaire Quality Supervision and Inspection Center (Shanghai Shidai Zhiguang Lighting Appliance Testing Co., Ltd.).
The conference will conduct in-depth discussions around "Policy—Standards—Quality—Innovation", covering four major dimensions. The content spans the entire industry chain, including policy interpretation, quality supervision, standard development, and corporate practices. The conference agenda is as follows:
In-depth Analysis of National Standardization Strategy and Quality Supervision Policies International Standardization Developments and Frontier Trends Guidance on Implementation Paths for Enterprise Standardization Capability Building
Analysis of Annual National/Provincial Sampling Quality Data and Defect Recall Cases In-depth Interpretation of Domestic and International Mandatory Market Access Systems Performance Evaluation of Key Products and Quality Analysis of Engineering Projects
Key Technical Reports on National and Industry Standards Under Development Promotion and Interpretation of Key National, Industry, and Group Standards Practical Guide to International Market Access Certification Seminar on Pathways to Enhance Laboratory Technical Capabilities
Sharing Experience in Building Standardization Systems for Leading Enterprises Launch of Innovative Upgraded Product Achievements Award Ceremony for the First Batch of Association Group Standard Certified Enterprises Launch Ceremony for Key Product Evaluation
Cordially invited to participate:
Jointly drawing the blueprint for high-quality development of the lighting industry
July 15, 2025 → Conference | July 14 Registration
Wyndham Garden Hotel Changzhou Zhiyi — No. 8 Xinggang Road, Wuxing Street, Zhonglou District, Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province
Registration fee for participants: 1000 yuan/person
China Association of Lighting Industry（中国照明电器协会）
Hou Sha 15600444473
Li Yao 13126903657
National Electric Light Source Quality Supervision and Inspection Center (Beijing)
Guo Zhicheng 13699155511
Ran Ran 13651161785
National Quality Inspection and Testing Center for Luminaires (Shanghai Shidai Zhiguang Lighting Appliance Testing Co., Ltd.)
Jiang Lili 13817587897
