Chinese-made cooling products see surging sales as heatwave grips Italy

Chinese-made cooling products are seeing surging sales in Italy as back-to-back early-season heatwaves across Europe have driven up demand for heat relief.

Italy has been hit by multiple heatwaves since the second half of May, with authorities issuing orange and even red heat alerts across much of the country.

Amid the scorching conditions, Chinese-made cooling products have gained in popularity among Italian consumers on cross-border e-commerce platforms.

Data from an Italian price comparison platform shows a dramatic surge in demand for heat relief products starting in mid-May. According to the platform's "heat management" category, fans were the best-selling products between May 21 and 27, with sales jumping 543 percent from the previous week. The May 21-27 period also saw sales of sunshades rising 117 percent and hiking sandals up 105 percent compared with the week earlier.

Notably, products on Chinese cross-border e-commerce platforms performed particularly well.

"We released heat relief products earlier than usual this year, since the heatwave started in mid-May. A look at the numbers showed that our sales in May were roughly five times higher than in March and have surged about 10 times in June so far from March," Yang Dingsheng, head of the Italian merchant operations of AliExpress, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba's online global retail platform, told the China Media Group (CMG).

Due to the rising demand, staff at a local warehouse of the Chinese e-commerce platform in Milan have been restocking cooling products, such as tower fans and desk fans, almost daily.

One Milan resident, Federico, told CMG he usually waits until July - when the heat becomes more intense and truly unbearable - to buy summer cooling gear. This year, he made his purchase nearly two months earlier.

"I ran into some problems buying a fan at a physical store. I've found online shopping much more convenient and there's also a much wider selection. You can see a lot more products there," he said.

Industry observers have predicted a continuously growing demand for heat relief products as the sweltering temperatures persist in Italy, with Chinese cross-border e-commerce platforms poised to capture an increasing share of the market.

Chinese-made cooling products see surging sales as heatwave grips Italy

Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker visited Tongji University in Shanghai on Wednesday, before attending the opening ceremony of the ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) in the city on Thursday.

Stocker is paying an official visit to China until Saturday at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

While delivering a speech at the Tongji University, he put scientific research and higher education cooperation in the spotlight.

"Austria and China will build the future together, bringing mutual benefits to both countries. This requires courage, confidence and long-term commitment," said the Austrian chancellor, noting that Austria will be a trustworthy partner to China in opening a new chapter for cooperation.

At a panel discussion, participants from both countries discussed the future of science and engineering.

Recent exchanges between the Tongji University and Austrian universities focused on joint research, student mobility and the growing role of artificial intelligence in engineering education.

"This year marks the 55th anniversary of [the establishment of] diplomatic ties between China and Austria, and 100 years [the 100th year] since Professor Hans List began teaching at the Tongji University. These two milestones invite us to look back at history. The longstanding friendship between Chinese and Austrian engineers is a vivid example of China's openness to the world," said Wan Gang, honorary president of the China Association for Science and Technology.

In 1926, Hans List began teaching at the Tongji University, helping train China's first generation of internal combustion engine specialists. A century later, his family donated historical archives and a statue of him to the university.

There has been close cooperation between the Tongji University and AVL List GmbH, which was founded by Hans List and is one of the world's leading mobility technology companies for engineering, simulation, and testing in the automotive industry.

A century ago, Austria brought some of its most advanced engineering technologies to China. Today, the two countries are building on that legacy, strengthening their friendship and partnership, and driving a new wave of innovation together.

Austrian chancellor visits Tongji University in Shanghai