hina's big four just got stronger at the expense of the minnows. Between them Haier, Midea, Gree and Chigo, the top air conditioner makers in China, own 54 percent of the market. As competition hotted up more than two dozen air conditioner brands in the country had to shut shop. According to figures released by China�s State Information Center (SIC), domestic sales of air-conditioners rose steadily while exports remained the same as last year. The number of air conditioner brands dropped by 27 to 69 in the domestic market, according to the SIC survey of 750 outlets and department stores in 106 cities across the country. The rise in raw materials, manufacturing and sales cost saw the smaller players fall by the wayside.

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