Let's be cool. Hot weather shapes new consumer trends in China

People enjoy drifting at a canyon in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province, on July 15 (XINHUA)

As scorching summer temperatures sweep across many parts of China, it's a common sight to see people fully equipped with sun protection gear as they brave the heat outdoors.

Zhang Hongyu, a resident of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, is no exception. Armed with a sun protection shirt, a face mask, sunglasses, arm sleeves and a UV protection umbrella--she is well-prepared to tackle the sweltering heat in one of China's hottest cities.

"These sunscreen products can help me avoid getting sunburned or tanned," Zhang said.

This summer, many Chinese cities and provinces including Beijing, Chongqing, Tianjin, Henan and Shandong have been experiencing searing heatwaves caused by global warming and the El Nino phenomenon. For Chongqing alone, the meteorological department forecast that temperatures exceeding 37 degrees Celsius will persist for about a month from mid-July.

Soaring sun protection gear sales 

Unsurprisingly, the sustained high temperatures have driven the growth of the country's "sunscreen economy."

According to statistics released by Zhiyanzhan industrial research institute, the market size of China's sunscreen products industry reached 18.3 billion yuan (about $2.57 billion) in 2022, and is expected to soar to 38.9 billion yuan in 2029.

Meanwhile, the consumer groups for sunscreen products are gradually diversifying, expanding from traditional female consumers to males and children, leading to continuous growth in the sunscreen market for the latter groups.

A report on high temperature consumption observation released by China's e-commerce giant JD.com showed that the sales volume of sunscreen cream for children and men on its platform in early July increased by 70 percent and 67 percent, respectively.

"As demand for sunscreen products continues to rise, sunscreen products will see constant upgrades and innovations. The enormous potential of the sunscreen consumer market will be further unleashed, offering promising prospects for related enterprises and becoming a new growth point for the economy," said Dong Fei, a researcher at JD's research institute for consumption and industrial development.

Related consumption increasing

Apart from sunscreen products, the high temperatures have also boosted the sales of summer cooling and refreshing products.

Meituan Waimai, a major food delivery platform in China, has seen a sharp increase in the sales of iced beverages, beer, ice cream, fans, and other cooling products during the hot weather season.

Since June, ice cream and ice pop sales on Meituan's platform have surged by about 70 percent, and sales of chilled beverages have grown by over 100 percent compared to the same period last year.

Air conditioners have experienced significant growth among major home appliances, according to the Chinese e-commerce platform Pinduoduo Inc.

During a four-day promotion event from May 30 to June 3, sales of air conditioners in Haier's official flagship store on Pinduoduo's platform skyrocketed by 968 percent compared to the same period last year. Qingdao Haier Co., Ltd. is a major Chinese home appliances and consumer electronics company.

Amidst the continuous high temperatures, traveling to escape the summer heat has also become a popular choice for many travelers. Cool destinations across the country are attracting tourists, and travel agencies are offering diverse tourism products to cater to this growing trend.

According to a report released by China Tourism Academy (Data Center for the Ministry of Culture and Tourism), the scale of travels to escape the summer heat and related markets has reached 1.2 trillion to 1.5 trillion yuan.

This kind of travel has become a major contributor to the growth of the summer tourism market, said Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy.