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

AI Summary

A severe heatwave in Europe has boosted sales of Chinese home appliances, with Alibaba experiencing triple-digit growth in air conditioner and fan sales on its international platforms. In Germany, a notable product inventory for air conditioners was rapidly depleted shortly after launch, indicating strong demand due to the heatwave across Europe.

A heatwave sweeping across Europe has triggered a massive surge in sales for Chinese home appliances, with e-commerce giant Alibaba recording triple-digit growth for air conditioners and fans on its overseas platforms. On AliExpress, Alibaba’s international retail site, the June debut of air conditioners in Germany saw warehouse inventory for a 2.35-kilowatt Midea model completely wiped out by Thursday, according to data from Alibaba. The trend was also stark in southern Europe. Fan sales in...