Recently, a reporter from the Beijing News sorted out the performance of seven listed companies in the lighting industry. Data shows that in 2021, the revenue of six enterprises increased year-on-year, among which Foshan Lighting, Debon Lighting, Sanxiong Aurora, and Oupu Lighting achieved double-digit year-on-year growth in revenue, while Sunshine Lighting's revenue decreased year-on-year. In terms of net profit, Mulin Sen's net profit increased by 284.1% year-on-year, Opel Lighting's net profit increased by 13.44% year-on-year, and Leishi International turned losses into profits. Among the four companies with a year-on-year decrease in net profit, Sunshine Lighting and Foshan Lighting saw a year-on-year decrease of over 20% in net profit, while Sanxiong Aurora saw a year-on-year decrease of nearly 90% in net profit.

In recent years, with the increasing attention of consumers to the quality and brand of lighting products, lighting enterprises have actively adapted to new consumer trends and explored new directions. In 2021, major enterprises will enhance their technological research and development capabilities while actively laying out intelligence, focusing on the new track of intelligent lighting.

Five companies saw a year-on-year increase in revenue

In terms of operating revenue, among the 7 enterprises, Mulin Forest's operating revenue exceeded 10 billion yuan, reaching 18.615 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 7.1%. The revenue of Oupu Lighting, Debon Lighting, Foshan Lighting, Sunshine Lighting, Sanxiong Aurora, and Leishi International were 8.847 billion yuan, 5.273 billion yuan, 4.773 billion yuan, 4.264 billion yuan, 2.709 billion yuan, and 2.375 billion yuan, respectively. Foshan Lighting, Debon Lighting, Sanxiong Aurora, and Oupu Lighting achieved double-digit year-on-year growth in revenue.

In terms of net profit, Mulin Forest reached 1.159 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 284.1%, and its annual report reported a historic high in net profit. The net profits of Oupu Lighting, Debon Lighting, Sunshine Lighting, and Foshan Lighting were 907 million yuan, 328 million yuan, 316 million yuan, and 250 million yuan, respectively, with year-on-year changes of 13.44%, -4.19%, -34.82%, and -21.09%. In 2021, Lei Shi International achieved a net profit of 05.8 million yuan, turning losses into profits year-on-year.

Among the 7 companies, Sanxiong Aurora had the largest decline in net profit, reaching 26 million yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 88.77%. Regarding the decrease in net profit, Sanxiong Aurora stated in its annual report that the main reason is that due to the sustained significant increase in prices of some commodities, the company's prices of some raw materials have increased significantly, resulting in a decrease in sales gross profit margin; Secondly, during the reporting period, the company's client Evergrande Group and its member enterprises faced difficulties in cash flow, resulting in the company holding some of its commercial acceptance bills that were overdue and unpaid. Based on the current situation, the company analyzed and evaluated the recoverability of its accounts receivable, and found that there were obvious signs of impairment. Therefore, a bad debt provision was made for all of its accounts receivable at an 80% ratio, which led to a significant increase in the company's credit impairment losses compared to the same period last year, resulting in a significant decrease in the company's net profit during the reporting period; Thirdly, during the reporting period, due to a decrease in government subsidies included in the company's current profit and loss and a significant year-on-year decrease in investment income, the company's non recurring profit and loss decreased significantly year-on-year.

General emphasis on research and development investment

In recent years, the lighting industry has actively adapted to new consumer trends and explored new directions. Some industry insiders believe that due to the low entry threshold and low industry concentration in the lighting industry. With the evolution of the industry competition pattern, consumers have increased their attention to product quality and brand, as well as their demand for comprehensive service capabilities from manufacturers. Small brands with weak competitiveness are constantly being eliminated from the market, while companies with strong technological research and development capabilities, good quality control, and strong cost control capabilities are gaining more market opportunities, gradually increasing their market share.

From the data, it can be seen that in 2021, lighting listed companies generally focus on research and development investment. In 2021, Mulin Forest invested 550 million yuan in research and development expenses, a year-on-year increase of 21.38%. Debon Lighting invested 152 million yuan in research and development in 2021, with 55 newly authorized patents, including 3 invention patents, 39 utility model patents, and 13 design patents. Foshan Lighting invested 233 million yuan in research and development throughout 2021, accounting for 4.88% of its operating revenue. A total of 425 new products were developed throughout the year, generating sales of approximately 700 million yuan. 283 patents were applied for, 207 patents were granted, and four products were certified for international standards. It participated in the formulation of 21 international, industry, and group standards.

In future plans, multiple companies have also indicated that they will continue to strengthen their research and development investment. In the annual report of Mulin Forest, it is mentioned that in the future, the company will stimulate its potential through product innovation and optimization, increasing market share, strengthening research and development innovation, and talent reserves, committed to high-quality and sustainable development of the enterprise. According to the annual report of Debon Lighting, its lighting business fully utilizes research platforms such as "academician expert workstations", "postdoctoral workstations", and institute enterprise cooperation to continuously improve the "product development" and "technology pre research" systems, promote product high-end, personalized, and customized. In the annual report of Sunshine Lighting, it is also stated that a technology research and development center will be established at the group level to concentrate company resources on intelligent, pre research, and platform products, collaborate with the needs of various business centers, develop leading product series, promote information construction, and establish data intelligence competitiveness.

Industry as a whole focuses on intelligence

With people's continuous pursuit of intelligent health products, high-quality development led by intelligent lighting systems has become a new direction for the development of the lighting industry. In recent years, intelligent lighting, as a key component of smart homes, has seen a comprehensive rise.

In 2021, lighting listed companies actively laid out intelligent lighting. Mulin Forest's global operations take "brand strategy" and "intelligent manufacturing" as the core strategic concepts, and continuously carry out research and development work from four aspects: standardization, digitization, intelligence, and advanced manufacturing processes. In terms of intelligent manufacturing, by establishing 5G intelligent workshops and intelligent production lines, we create a real-time, collaborative, transparent, and digital efficient intelligent factory, further improving labor productivity and product quality. In 2021, Mulin Forest's intelligent manufacturing business achieved a revenue of 6.007 billion yuan and a sales gross profit margin of 23.72%.

Oupu Lighting has achieved the integration of multiple intelligent platforms by connecting the intelligent control system directly with third-party platforms, greatly improving the convenience of user use. At the same time, the company continuously enriches the categories of intelligent products, and the sales of online intelligent products are growing rapidly. During the reporting period, the proportion of online smart home lighting exceeded 40%, further meeting the needs of online consumers for intelligence and convenience.

In the annual report of Foshan Lighting, it is mentioned that in the field of intelligent lighting, solutions for intelligent office, intelligent education, smart home systems, and 5G smart light poles have been launched for different application scenarios. In collaboration with well-known platform enterprises, a batch of intelligent products have been launched. In the field of health lighting, with the construction of a light health laboratory as an opportunity, efforts have been focused on vision protection, rhythm health, disinfection and sterilization, and a series of new health lighting products have been developed and launched.

According to industry research firm IDC's 2020 full year data, the growth rate of China's intelligent lighting equipment shipments has reached 71.4%, and the intelligent lighting market continues to grow rapidly. According to an IDC report, the smart lighting equipment market will maintain rapid growth in 2021, and the demand for smart lighting from users will gradually deepen. On the one hand, the variety of lighting equipment is diversified, and tube lights, track lights, etc. have joined the ranks of intelligence, and the smart switch market is also experiencing a surge. On the other hand, intelligent lighting solutions have a high market acceptance and have become an important component of whole house intelligence.

New Beijing News reporter Zheng Mingzhu

Editor Wang Lin