In recent years, with the upgrading of consumer demand and the growing awareness of fitness and sports among the public, more and more people are participating in outdoor activities. Meanwhile, people's consumption concepts for sports and leisure are also evolving, making many innovative outdoor products highly favored by consumers.
From January 16 to 19, the 15th Asia Outdoor Trade Show (ISPO), held in Beijing in 2019, took place at the China International Exhibition Center. Over the past decade, ISPO has developed into a professional trade platform for sports goods, extending its influence across the entire Asia-Pacific region. For outdoor enthusiasts and brand owners, this exhibition was undoubtedly a feast. As a professional brand in outdoor power, Jackery was also invited to participate in the 2019 ISPO exhibition, showcasing a series of products including the Outdoor Power 500, Outdoor Power 300, and Outdoor Power 200.
Surging Outdoor Demand, Jackery Fills Market Gap
Outdoor living is a freer and more casual way to exercise. Activities such as hiking, fishing, camping, and trekking are widely popular, but there are also many inconveniences in the outdoors, with device charging being a major issue. Whether it's small devices like mobile phones, cameras, and laptops, or power-hungry devices like drones, outdoor lights, and car refrigerators, all have limited battery life, and power banks simply cannot meet the power needs—making high-power outdoor power supplies essential.
At the 2019 ISPO exhibition, Jackery displayed a series of outdoor power products, which are designed for different scenarios and devices based on their varying power outputs. The Outdoor Power 500 and 300 are higher-capacity power stations, functioning like portable mini charging stations, both offering high-power pure sine wave AC output with stable and safe voltage. They are mainly suitable for power-intensive scenarios such as road trips, camping, outdoor music parties, and home emergency power use. A Jackery representative mentioned that the Outdoor Power 300 had just won the 2018 China “Best Outdoor Equipment of the Year” award.
The Outdoor Power 200 has a capacity of 58,000mAh and uses built-in 18650 lithium-ion power cells, primarily for powering devices like drones and cameras. The Outdoor Power 80 has a capacity of 22,000mAh, features a lightweight body, and complies with aviation safety regulations, making it portable for powering devices such as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, and gaming consoles.
According to surveys, the stable number of outdoor sports enthusiasts in China is around 130 million, accounting for 9.5% of the total population. This group’s spending on outdoor sports gear has been increasing year by year. Data from the China Outdoor Alliance shows that the core outdoor market in China is also growing annually, expected to reach 32.1 billion yuan by 2020. Facing such a huge market demand, Jackery’s product series effectively fill a significant market gap.
Digging Deep into Customer Needs, Transitioning from Power Banks to Lithium-Ion Outdoor Power
Previously known to the public as a power bank company with over a decade of experience, Jackery later shifted its focus to lithium-ion portable outdoor power products. At the ISPO exhibition, a Jackery representative explained the reason behind the company’s transition, stating that from 2013 to 2015, the power bank market experienced explosive growth. Due to low technical barriers, a large number of manufacturers flooded the market, with nearly 5,000 producers creating a fiercely competitive and unhealthy industry environment. At that time, Jackery began to think: apart from power banks, what new needs do users have? Eventually, they set their sights on outdoor power supplies.
In fact, in Europe and America, generators represent a significant market with three main application scenarios. The first is outdoor activities—Western families often travel with RVs and various mobile digital devices for trips lasting a week or even a month. The second scenario is home emergency power during natural disasters or blackouts. For some underdeveloped countries, electricity remains scarce; globally, over 1.4 billion people still lack reliable access to electricity, accounting for 18.7%. The third scenario is outdoor work, targeting professionals who need to perform regular outdoor tasks and inspections. These three scenarios make up a global market capacity of about 150 billion RMB, yet the generator industry has long-standing, insurmountable drawbacks: loud noise, exhaust emissions containing toxic gases like carbon monoxide, and the need for regular maintenance.
Jackery’s team includes a development group with 13 years of experience in lithium battery management systems, closely observing the changes in the lithium battery market over the years. In 2014, the price of lithium batteries dropped from nearly 3 yuan per Wh to the current approximate 1 yuan per Wh. With the strong development of the new energy industry and the increasing maturity of lithium battery technology, costs are expected to continue declining. Industry insiders know that lithium battery costs account for about 60% of portable energy storage products. Given the current downward trend in lithium battery costs, outdoor lithium-ion portable energy storage products can continuously optimize and enhance competitiveness. In the future, their costs may approach those of traditional generators, improving user experience without altering existing habits or increasing usage costs.
For these three application scenarios, Jackery’s brand positioning focuses mainly on niche outdoor markets. Considering that China’s outdoor industry is still in its early stages but shows signs of rapid growth in the coming years, entering the niche outdoor market segment helps open up the outdoor power supply market. Moreover, starting with outdoor entertainment offers lower entry barriers, as other segments require higher power and capacity—and come with greater costs—making consumer acceptance less certain. Home emergency and outdoor work serve as supplementary marketing scenarios.
At the current stage, as outdoor sports continue to gain popularity, consumers’ demands for the professionalism of outdoor products are increasing. Compared to before, there is a greater emphasis on product quality and user experience. Products lacking professionalism but relying heavily on marketing, promotion, and packaging are gradually being phased out. As an indispensable companion for outdoor activities, outdoor power supplies face the same situation—only sufficiently professional and high-quality products can succeed in the market.
After more than a decade of development, Jackery has become an outdoor power brand integrating R&D and manufacturing. It provides the public with smart, safe, and easy-to-use outdoor power supplies, promoting the widespread adoption of green energy. As an industry leader, Jackery also continuously raises industry standards and contributes to the healthy development of the sector. The year 2019 marks a new chapter, and this ISPO exhibition will serve as the starting point of a new journey.