This article originally appeared on ABACUS Smart speaker shipments in China are projected to grow 9.8% in 2020, according to a new report by IDC . The estimated growth comes despite a sharp drop in shipments in the first quarter because of the coronavirus pandemic that upended supply chains and lowered consumer demand. China saw “explosive growth” of 110% in smart speaker shipments last year, according to IDC. The top brands remain Chinese tech giants Alibaba, Baidu and Xiaomi, which make up more than 90% of China’s smart speaker market. (Abacus is a unit of the South China Morning Post, which is owned by Alibaba.) While the pandemic pushed down sales at offline retail stores, there could be a new opportunity for smart speaker makers on the horizon. With more people staying home, IDC says companies are motivated to enrich their content, explore more use cases and move a bigger part of their sales online. Purchase the China AI Report 2020 brought to you by SCMP Research and enjoy a 20% discount (original price US$400). This 60-page all new intelligence report gives you first-hand insights and analysis into the latest industry developments and intelligence about China AI. Get exclusive access to our webinars for continuous learning, and interact with China AI executives in live Q&A. Offer valid until 31 March 2020.