From May 27 to 30, 2025, the 29th Shanghai Kitchen & Bath Show (KBC) was held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. Under the theme “New Era, New Kitchen & Bath, New Experience,” the event brought together more than 6,000 exhibitors (another estimate: 1,300+ leading brands), making it the most important window into the direction of China’s sanitary ware industry.

1. Smart Technology Accelerates Across the Board

The most striking feature of this edition was how “smart” has penetrated nearly every product category. JOMOO launched its global premieres of “JOMOO AI BATH” and “XIAOMU YOUNG BATH” scenario brands, deeply integrating AI into the bathroom space; HEGII unveiled its “Whole-Bathroom Scenario Solutions” alongside the R8 smart toilet featuring AI-guided cleaning and ultra-turbine zero-pressure flushing. From smart urine testing and gesture-free control to AI integration, smart technology has moved from a “gimmick” to a “necessity.”

2. From “Selling Single Products” to “Selling Scenarios”

Instead of displaying toilets and showers in isolation, more companies now offer integrated solutions around the entire bathroom space — smart toilets, smart showers, thermostatic shower systems, mirror cabinets and storage combined into one whole. Market data confirms this trend: according to AVC’s 2025 finished-housing annual report, the penetration rate of smart toilets in the premium segment reached 90.1%, surpassing conventional toilets for the first time.

3. Domestic Brands Compete Head-to-Head with International Brands

In premium finished-housing projects, foreign brands such as Kohler still lead in smart toilet selection, but domestic players like JOMOO and HEGII are catching up fast with quicker iteration and better value. The strong rise of Chinese brands was another highlight of the show.

4. A New Proposition for Manufacturers

The smart wave raises entirely new requirements upstream: faucets, cartridges and hoses must reliably integrate with smart ecosystems — the opening precision of cartridges, the thermostatic response of faucets and the pressure endurance of hoses all directly affect the smart experience. For OEM/ODM manufacturers, those who perfect the reliability of structural and core components will enter the smart supply chain first.

5. FangHong: The “Reliable Core” of Smart Bathrooms

FangHong has specialized in core hardware such as faucets and cartridges for over 21 years. Our push-and-turn cartridges and ceramic cartridges are known for stable opening/closing performance and durability, enabling us to supply reliable cartridge and faucet body components to smart bathroom brands — helping smart products become truly “easy to use and durable.”

Outlook

Smart and scenario-based approaches are not a short-term fad but the industry’s main theme for years to come. For supply-chain enterprises, rather than chasing concepts, perfect every cartridge and every faucet — this is exactly what FangHong has always stood for.