Many enterprises, whenentering overseas markets, tend to flock to mature regions such as Europe and America, but in reality, breaking through is extremely difficult. These markets have long been dominated by leading brands, and it is not easy for foreign brands to win the recognition of local consumers.’srecognition.

Therefore, the mindset for brand Tuke needs to be adjusted in time. Opportunities are never limited to just one, and there is never only one direction.

Instead of struggling in fiercely competitive mature markets, it is better to proactively lay out in emerging markets with greater potential.

 

Image source:Gaabor

Take the small home appliance track as an example. In recent years,Southeast Asia is ushering in a new wave of consumption upgrade.

With the acceleration of urbanization and the continuous growth of the middle class, localresidents’ per capita disposable incomekeeps rising,and their requirements for quality of life are getting higher and higher,directly driving the entire small home appliance market to experience explosive growth.

According toGrand View Researchresearch data, we can see:

The market size of householdsmallappliancesinSoutheast Asiais valued at $22.3 billion in 2025USD, and is expected to reach $30.9 billion in 2030, with a compound annual growth rateof6.7%, showing very strong momentum.

 

Image source:Grand View Research

However,even though the market has huge potential, the penetration rate of small home appliances in Southeast Asia is still relatively low, showing a state of strong demand and insufficient supply. It is precisely this gap that makes this market full ofopportunities.

At present,many domesticsmall home appliancebrands have successfullyenteredSoutheast Asia,and today’s featuredGaaboris a typical representative among them.

From a new small brand to a category bestseller, it achieved annual sales exceeding 230 million RMB, with a cumulative shipment of 1.82 million units,and also ranked first in category on e-commerce platforms in multiple Southeast Asian countries.

Next, let’s take a look at how it managed to break through?

 

Image source:Google

Rooted in Southeast Asia, capturing user mindshare through localization

According to public information,Gaabor is a new small home appliance brand incubated based on Jet Commerce’s years of deep cultivation in Southeast Asia, established in 2021.

The brand’s technological accumulation actually has a long history. As early as2008, the founding team started R&D on kitchen appliance circulation power technology; in 2015, they formed localized user research teams in multiple Southeast Asian countries, simultaneously advancing technology iteration and product layout.It wasn’t untilSeptember 2021 that Jet Commerce officially launched its own brand Gaabor.

 

Image source:Gaabor

With a deep understanding of the Southeast Asian market,Gaabor decisively avoided the fiercely competitive mature markets of Europe and America, focusing on Southeast Asia, where the population structure is young and online consumption habits are mature.

In terms of pricing strategy,Gaabor accurately grasped local consumers’ preference for high cost-performance products, keeping the main product price under $100, quickly opening the market and accumulating users with a “high quality-price ratio” positioning.

In channel layout,Gaabor adopted a diversified model integrating online and offline.

Online, it built an independent brand site and joinedTikTok Shop, Shopee, Lazada and other core Southeast Asian e-commerce platforms, forming a comprehensive online sales matrix, effectively increasing brand exposure and sales scale.

 

Image source:Gaabor

Offline, it enteredTransmart, SM Mall and other leading local chain supermarkets, allowing consumers to intuitively experience the convenience and effectiveness of the products through live cooking demonstrations, strengthening user trust, improving conversion, and further consolidating the localized market foundation.

In terms of product features, considering the hot local climate, residents’ preference for light food, and frequent family gatherings, the demand for large-capacity, intelligent, and healthy small home appliances is particularly prominent.

To meet this,Gaabor launched air fryers with 4.5L–6.5L capacity, equipped with water-drop anti-slip handles, 15° angled control panels, and other thoughtful designs.Focusing on oil-free healthy cooking and precise temperature control, it fully matches local needs and quickly gained popularity among local consumers after launch, with impressive results following.

 

Image source:Gaabor

In just one year after launch,Gaabor’s sales exceeded 200 million RMB, and the air fryer alone sold 1 million units.

By December 2022, the brand’s cumulative order volume reached 1.82 million units, and annual sales soared to 230 million RMB.

Inthe first half of 2023, Gaabor repeatedly topped the category rankings on major Southeast Asian e-commerce platforms.

Later, as market demand continued to expand,Gaabor also kept expanding its brand boundaries, no longer limited to core kitchen categories like air fryers and rice cookers,and successively launched new products such as floor washers, vacuum cleaners, and hair dryers, covering kitchen appliances, cleaning appliances, and personal care scenarios, meeting diversified life needs with a more complete product matrix, and continuously consolidating its leading position in the Southeast Asian small home appliance market.

 

Image source:Gaabor

Differentiated social media operations, precisely mastering the traffic code

Is it enough to have good products and wide channels?

Gaabor’s answer is: not enough.

To truly root in a market and achieve long-term stable development, building brand awareness is equally crucial. And all of this cannot be separated from the help of social media.

In recent years,TikTok’s explosive growth worldwide has provided Chinese brands with an unprecedented communication window. Gaabor keenly seized this opportunity, but instead of simply opening an account and posting videos, it adopted a very refined regional operation strategy.

To reach users in different countries,Gaabor set up localizedTikTok accountsforthe core markets of the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, etc.

As of now, the number of fans for each regional account has reached790,100, 118,700, 184,300, 120,900, and 161,900, with the total fan count across all platforms exceeding1.37 million, showing very impressive operational results.

 

Image source:TikTok

Due to obvious differences in cultural habits, content preferences, and consumption needs among different countries,Gaaborbrandformulated differentiatedcontent strategiesfor each market.

For example, thePhilippinesmarketTikTokaccount@gaaborph, currently has790,100 fans and 528,800 likes, making it the best-performing regional account..

This account mainly features endorsements by local celebrities, publishing a large amount of promotional content by popular local artistDavid Licauco, quickly boosting brandawareness and favorabilitythrough the celebrity’sinfluence.

 

Image source:TikTok

Vietnamese users are less receptive to hard ads and prefer authentic, interesting content,TikTok account @gaaborvietnamadopts a completelydifferent operational approach:

The videos published are mainly two types,one is content based on daily life scenes,showing quick breakfast and convenient cooking with air fryers, highlighting product practicality and ease of use;the other is humorous skits, attracting users with lighthearted and funny plots, weakening the sense of advertising and strengthening the content’sappeal.

 

Image source:TikTok

It is precisely this localized content approach tailored to each regionthatGaabor truly entered the lives of consumers in Southeast Asian countries.

What users see is not cold advertising, but content closely related to their own lives and full of warmth. The stronger the sense of involvement, the stronger the sense of recognition, and loyal users naturally accumulate over time.

Conclusion

Looking back,Gaabor’s success actually has no special secret.

It’s nothing more than daring to change direction when others are crowding into the red ocean, seeking opportunities in relatively gentle but highly potential emerging markets; nothing more than truly implementing “localization” in every aspect, from product pricing to channel selection, from content operation to celebrity cooperation, every step closely aligns with the real needs of local consumers.

Now, the explosion of the Southeast Asian small home appliance market has just begun. Urbanization is advancing, the middle class is growing, consumption habits are upgrading, and supply gaps still exist. For domestic enterprises, this is a window period not to be missed.

Instead of exhausting yourself in a crowded track, why not, likeGaabor, change your mindset, find the right positioning, and find your own place in this rapidly rising market.

After all, there is never only one path in overseas markets, and opportunities always favor those who dare to adjust direction and proactively lay out their plans.