Author si

Editor Wang Biqiang

"Huawei's mobile phones are seriously out of stock." After the second anniversary of the reduction of chip supply in the United States, this has become part of the fact.

Guarding specialty stores and authorized stores, the owner is at the end of a huge sales network, and selling mobile phones accounts for more than half of the income, and the feeling is the most direct. When a guest wants a model, Li Ming, the owner of Huawei's mobile phone store, has only one thing left:

Quickly report the only mobile phone inventory in the store and tell "nothing but these".

The spot quantity usually does not exceed five, so the memory and color are difficult to meet the needs of guests. He advised the other party to buy it quickly. "It's good to have one. How to choose a color?" There is no more explanation. "Now this situation is the same all over the country." Most guests can't accept it, and business is difficult.

It has been out of stock for a long time, and Li Ming is unwilling to explain the reasons in detail every time.

From May 2065438 to May 2009, Huawei was listed on the "Entity List" by the US Department of Commerce, and American enterprises were prohibited from selling related technologies and products to it for two years. Huawei's self-developed Kirin chip was restricted from production, the supply of mobile phones was greatly reduced, and the market structure changed greatly. In order to stop loss and save itself as soon as possible, Huawei began to adjust its consumer business strategy and increase the sales of other products except mobile phones to make up for the decline in mobile phone sales.

Huawei's coping strategy has worked. The 2020 annual report shows that its consumer business income increased by 3.3% compared with the same period of last year, and the sales of other products except mobile phones increased by 65%. Hu, the rotating chairman of Huawei, analyzed that in 2020, due to the supply of chips, the mobile phone business was affected, but the revenue on smart devices and terminals increased.

Huawei's annual report shows that consumer business income will increase by 3.3% year-on-year in 2020.

However, changes are gradually passed down from the upper level of the system, and the end often takes the most time to adapt. Dealers failed to keep up with the pace of brand transformation, and life became difficult. From June 5438+ 10, 2020, the number of products distributed in Li Ming's store decreased significantly, and the low-end models were out of stock for several months. Integrated products such as Bluetooth headsets and speakers are not easy to sell, but more and more goods are delivered, and the backlog has become inventory.

The shortage of supply also creates opportunities for raising prices. In Shenzhen Huaqiang North Electronic Wholesale Market (hereinafter referred to as "Huaqiang North"), cheap is the biggest advantage, and the price of mobile phones is usually several hundred yuan lower than the official retail price. Huawei mobile phones that are out of stock in official channels have become an exception.

According to a quotation on May 20th, the prices of Huawei P and M high-end series models are generally 500 to 1000 yuan higher than the retail price in official website, and the prices of popular models are even higher. Mate40 has been released for more than half a year, and now I want to buy one of its popular colors for 148 1 yuan. The other party should also explain, "If you think about it, you should do it quickly. Tomorrow may not be this price, or it may not be available. "

The mobile phone market has not seen such a scene of "speculation" for many years: the wholesale price has risen above the official pricing, and the models released for half a year have risen instead of falling. Some people even priced the second mobile phone higher than the new one.

Zhang Feng is scouring mobile phones in Huaqiang North, and both old and new mobile phones have business. He recently sold a second-hand Huawei Mate40Pro+ in a circle of friends, which is "1999 all original". He intends to pay 9700 yuan, emphasizing "special price", but the price of the new machine in official website is 8999 yuan.

It's a mess Outside the official sales system, the price trend of Huawei mobile phones has broken the general law of the mobile phone market, but it is not incomprehensible. "Things are rare." Zhang Feng was not too worried about the popular model, but cautioned that "no one knows how long this wind energy will last".

Price increase: Huawei mobile phones generally rose in 500 yuan, and the wholesale price was higher than the retail price in official website.

Official pricing can only be regarded as a reference. In secondary wholesale markets such as Huaqiang North, price is the most intuitive mechanism to reflect supply and demand, and it is also the most flexible adjustment method. The quotation is usually updated every day, listing the price of each model and color. The boss's reminder is not only to promote business, but also to tell the truth, "one price a day, if you are optimistic, you will start."

Huawei's mobile phone is a hot spot in the last six months. The quotation records the process of its price rising all the way: in August 2020, Huawei's "Kirin" chip supply will soon be cut off, and the mobile phone supply in the wholesale market is still sufficient, but the quotation began to rise slightly. The purchase price of most models has been raised in 200 yuan, but the retail price is still several hundred yuan cheaper than that in official website.

Exceeding the expectation of backpackers to find goods for customers in the electronic market, the quotation kept going up until it broke through the retail price in official website, and the price of some models of Huawei mobile phones increased by nearly 2,300 yuan within one year. This is very unusual. The * * knowledge of the mobile phone market is that "the longer the time to market, the lower the price", but a Huawei mobile phone that was quoted at 4,480 yuan in September 2020 was priced at 6,700 yuan in May 2002/KLOC-0. For reference, its retail price in official website is 4988 yuan.

The quotation of Huaqiang North Electronic Wholesale Mall shows that on May 16, the official quotation of a Huawei mobile phone was 6988 yuan, and the highest quotation was 6700 yuan.

A dealer accidentally discovered that two Huawei mobile phones were left in the warehouse for more than 200 days, and now they earn more. The wholesale price at that time was 2500 yuan. After half a year, the price rose to 3200 yuan, and it was extremely out of stock, almost out of print. "It's outrageous." He has been a Huawei mobile phone for more than three years and has never encountered such a situation.

Along the wholesale distribution network, the price will be increased layer by layer. Mobile phone shopkeepers who rely on Huaqiang North and other channels will also keep profits for themselves. In the query of "Phoenix Weekly Finance", the retail price of a Huawei mobile phone given by an individual shopkeeper who operates brands such as Huawei, Xiaomi and OPPO is higher than that of Huaqiang North in 600 yuan and higher than that of official website 1000 yuan.

Too expensive? The shopkeeper replied, "The commodity price is high, but official website is the original price. The key is not to grab it. " In her public quotation, Huawei brand has not updated the price for three or four months, and can only consult privately. She stressed that "everything is subject to consultation and quotation, and the market fluctuates relentlessly."

The more important reason is that under the successive price increases, Huawei's mobile phones have almost no price advantage, and the price tag on the quotation will only "convince" customers. For the sales terminal, it is not necessarily a good thing to raise the price too high. Only by selling the goods can we really make money.

A mobile phone owner reduced the inventory of Huawei mobile phones and switched to other brands. He weighed it repeatedly. In the past, Huawei's mobile phone was his main stocking choice. The reason is that commodity prices are low, the price increase is large, and there are "profit points". The shopkeeper is willing to sell it to customers. Things are different now. The purchase price from channels has risen, and the wholesale price of popular models has exceeded the retail price. If he increases the price again, the customers who enter the store will turn around and leave, and online consultation will also have the final say.

"Mobile phones are not luxury goods, and there are many choices. Huawei has a high premium, and customers can't accept it, so they naturally buy other brands. " When another customer came to the door, he changed his mind and rarely took the initiative to promote Huawei mobile phones. He often said, "There is no need to spend a high price on Huawei, and I will recommend you a more cost-effective mobile phone." However, he added, "unless you meet a die-hard Huawei fan."

Zhang Feng, a backpacker, rarely has the luck to meet a die-hard fan. When the price of Huawei's mobile phone rose to the same as the retail price, he basically gave up buying Huawei's new machine. "I can't sell it." His way of making money is to add 80 yuan to 200 yuan on the basis of spreading the price, but customers seldom react after hearing the quotation, and even feel "killing people". Now the price of goods has exceeded the retail price, and it is even more difficult to buy and sell.

Without a storefront and inventory pressure, the business of "backpackers" should turn around. Second-hand mobile phones are profitable. In Zhang Feng's circle of friends, the advertisement of "recycling Huawei and glory high-end products at high prices" was played, and second-hand mobile phone information of various colors and models began to be screened. A Huawei mobile phone, used for about three months, was labeled as "quasi-new machine", and the price he gave was only lower than that of Huawei official website in 200 yuan.

Out of stock: There are only five offline stores in stock, and there are "scalpers" to sweep the goods.

When the wholesale market price soared, Huawei authorized stores became the best choice for purchasing machines.

According to Huawei's official requirements, the price of offline stores must be the same as that of official website, and it is not allowed to raise prices privately. In contrast, the original price has become a "good price". And Huawei official website is seriously out of stock. According to the observation of "Phoenix Weekly Finance", in May, Huawei official website had three mobile phones, only Mate30 RS Porsche and Mate40 RS Porsche were in stock, 8 models needed to be snapped up within a limited time, and others were out of stock. In Huawei's official forum "Pollen Club", many "pollen" expressed confusion and dissatisfaction.

Some people choose to try their luck in offline stores. What if it happens to be in stock? Li Ming, the owner of Huawei store, smiled bitterly, which is unlikely. Chip supply is limited and production capacity is insufficient. Land, sea and air are out of stock. He runs a storefront in a shopping mall in a second-tier city, which is considered a prosperous location and has no worries about sales, but what he is worried about now is that "one hand can count the spot". There are only four M-series models in Li Ming's shop, each with only one color, all with large memory, and there are no mobile phones under 5,000 yuan.

A customer asked when a certain model would arrive, but he was not sure. Products are distributed upstream, and what is distributed is what. According to the recent situation, he estimated that the goods would be distributed by "squeezing toothpaste".

Another Huawei offline store owner complained, "Some customers are out of stock and have no spirit at work." He remembers that in the past, the stock of mobile phones in the store was mostly four or five hundred, but now many models are out of stock, and the demo machine is only 100. Some colleagues found it unbelievable, "100! Why can I get so much? "

Like the store's feelings, Huawei's mobile phone shipments have indeed dropped sharply. According to the data of market research organization Konas, in the first quarter of 200214.9 million smartphones were shipped by Huawei, which was 50% lower than the same period last year, ranking third in China.

According to market research company Konas, in the first quarter of 20021,Huawei's smartphone shipments dropped by 50% compared with the same period last year.

However, it is also out of stock, and the "treatment" of Huawei stores in urban business districts and towns is different. A shopkeeper who runs a Huawei specialty store in a township hasn't got a high-end model of M or P series for more than two months, and most of the machines he can get are machines below 3,000 yuan. As the end of Huawei's distribution system, his stores are classified as "specialty stores", which are different from "experience stores" that are mostly opened in cities. Commodities are distributed according to market consumption capacity, and most high-end models are supplied to experience stores.

The limited number of chips forced Huawei to adopt a differentiation strategy in order to maintain its mobile phone market share and influence. In the mobile phone business, high-end mobile phones are mainly chips. In February, 20021,Huawei released a new generation of folding screen flagship machine with Kirin 9000 chip. Yu Chengdong, CEO of Huawei's consumer business, said at the press conference, "We have prepared enough production capacity and are increasing production capacity every week and month." Huawei's determination to keep the high-end mobile phone market is obviously more than that of the low-end market.

However, whether it is a high-end series or a low-end series, the current supply obviously cannot meet the demand. It's not just customers who want to have good luck in Huawei stores.

Huawei's mobile phone prices soared in the wholesale market. As long as you buy it online at the original price, you can earn hundreds of thousands by changing hands. "Yellow Cattle" will naturally not miss the opportunity. Some shopkeepers who run comprehensive brands also find that buying from stores is cheaper than wholesale from channels.

It's not the first time that Huawei store owners have been "shopping" by their peers. The other party requires 1 mobile phone, and is not picky about color. There is not enough inventory in the store, and the other party is willing to wait. He even promised to buy two watches at the same time, but refused to unpack them and was unwilling to activate them on the spot.

Hearing this sentence, the shopkeeper made a whisper. He was very happy at first and felt that there was a "big order", but according to the brand requirements, the mobile phones purchased by offline stores need to be activated on the spot in order to prevent "cross-selling". In Huawei's offline distribution system, there are agents in different regions, and the goods in the region are sold by local distributors, and the circulation between regions is prohibited to ensure the stability of the regional markets. Consumers are required to activate the mobile phone on the spot after purchasing it to identify whether it meets the sales requirements.

After much consideration, the shopkeeper decided not to do the business. Huawei has strict management of the offline market. He was repeatedly reminded that if the mobile phone sold in the store has abnormal use such as off-site activation, it may be judged as "cross-selling" and will be punished by stopping supply.

Even if there are only a few mobile phones in stock, the store can still hold on. If you are punished for stopping the supply, it is really closed. He is unwilling to give up his investment in Huawei stores.

Looking for a way: watches and speakers "make up", the store complained.

Seeing that Huawei's mobile phones have risen sharply in other channels, some stores also want to get some sweetness. Asking customers to buy "broken screen insurance" is a common means. According to Huawei official website, "Broken Screen Service Treasure" costs 699 yuan a year, which can provide the service of replacing Huawei screen components for free. There are also operators who directly offer prices, suggesting that there is no spot in the store and it is necessary to adjust the goods, provided that the price is increased in 200 yuan or 500 yuan. Judging from the discussion in "Pollen Club", many customers find it hard to accept.

Dealers who are seriously out of stock have a hard time. Some shopkeepers began to consider giving up Huawei mobile phones and turning to other mobile phone manufacturers. A shopkeeper who runs a Huawei store contacted other brands at the beginning of 202 1, and the terms offered by the other party still satisfied him. The most important thing is to ensure a relatively adequate supply of mobile phones. However, in March, Huawei temporarily increased the supply of mobile phone categories, and the number of products allocated to him increased from the usual four or five to twelve, so the store change plan was temporarily put on hold.

This may be one of Huawei's strategies to stabilize dealers. The time to increase supply is very subtle. March is the time when mobile phone brands intensively release new machines, and all manufacturers have new machines listed.

However, the days of "generosity" didn't take long, and the supply soon shrank. Judging from the performance of sales terminals, Huawei's longer-term solution is to increase the construction of ecological chain. In Huawei's consumer business, mobile phones only serve as "1+8+N" in the strategy. In addition, there are eight kinds of intelligent terminals such as speakers and headphones, as well as pan-Internet of Things hardware including lighting, security and other scenes.

Integrated products such as headphones and speakers are pushed to stores as a supplement to the shortage of mobile phones. The brand attitude persisted. A Huawei store recalled that from June 5438+ 10, 2020, when the goods were distributed, the mobile phone supply began to carry converged products. "This is a hard condition and it is impossible not to." He remembers that at the beginning, the ratio was 1: 1, and a mobile phone was equipped with a fusion product. Later, the proportion gradually increased. To get six mobile phones, you need more than ten kinds of integrated products such as desk lamps, body fat scales and backpacks.

In order to stimulate dealers' enthusiasm for the sale of converged products, Huawei has also set new conditions. A Huawei authorized store employee felt this change. He sold a Huawei mobile phone with a price of 7,000 yuan to 8,000 yuan, and the clerk got a commission of around 50 yuan. Although the unit price of the converged product was lower than that of the mobile phone, it got a higher commission. She did not disclose the specific proportion, but stressed that "if you want to make money, you have to work hard on selling integrated products."

In Huawei's consumer business segment, the latest launch conference was the "Full Scene Smart Life New Product Launch Conference" on May 19. The new products released include nearly ten products such as notebooks, wireless headphones and monitors.

Yu Chengdong, CEO of Huawei's consumer business, forwarded the news of the conference in a circle of friends and said, "The four rounds of sanctions imposed by the United States have made our consumer business difficult. Seeking survival and development is a product we can still do. " "Due to sanctions, many products cannot be produced, resulting in a serious shortage. I am really sorry for the love and expectation of consumers. "

According to media reports, Yu Chengdong, CEO of consumer business, said in a circle of friends, "Because of sanctions, many products can't be produced, resulting in a serious shortage. I am really sorry for the love and expectation of consumers. "

Huawei has stepped up the implementation of the "1+8+N" strategy, but some Huawei store operators seem to lack confidence. Huawei's integrated products such as watches and speakers are not as well recognized and influential as mobile phones, and it is much harder to sell. Many times when you enter the store, it becomes "dead goods" and you can only overstock your inventory.

Some stores try to "distribute goods" when selling mobile phones, asking customers to buy a headset or watch at the same time, but they are often rejected. "The mobile phone is not a luxury, but it should be matched?" In order to sell as soon as possible, shopkeepers usually choose to sell at a discount, and most of them are greatly discounted. 300 yuan can sell a backpack for 499 yuan, which is better than smashing it in your hand.

Distributors and wholesalers are busy around Huawei mobile phones, and they are used to the fact that Huawei mobile phones are out of stock and a series of influences. But how much wind and waves can the "declining" Huawei mobile phone stir up? It is also difficult for them to judge, so they can only try to move forward in the storm, hoping to step on the right time.

(At the request of the interviewee, the names of the interviewees in this article are all pseudonyms. )