China’s cooling, e-commerce giants reap windfall as a scorched Europe scrambles for relief

A severe heatwave across Europe has led to a significant increase in sales of Chinese home appliances, particularly cooling devices. Alibaba's international e-commerce platform, AliExpress, has experienced triple-digit growth in air conditioner and fan sales. In Germany, a specific Midea air conditioner model sold out its warehouse inventory shortly after its June debut. Southern European countries also saw substantial jumps in demand, with fan sales in Spain increasing by 94% in late June compared to May, and Italy reporting a 100% month-on-month rise in cooling appliances and sun-protection apparel sales during June.