The demand for cooling and sun protection products has surged.

The intense heat in northern Vietnam caused search keywords for sunscreen and cooling products to peak on the internet over the weekend.

According to a survey on Google Trends, searches for products related to cooling and sun protection surged dramatically on June 3rd and 4th.

Most products have reached peak search volumes over the past 7 days. The surge in demand for these products is due to the intense heatwave in the North, particularly in Hanoi. Specifically, on the afternoon of June 3rd, the temperature in central Hanoi reached 41.5 degrees Celsius – the highest since 1971. The Ha Dong weather station recorded 42 degrees Celsius, surpassing the 2008 record.

Searches for refrigeration and cooling appliances surge on weekends.

Electrical and household appliances that help combat the heat have seen the most significant surge in searches. Air conditioners peaked in searches at 12 noon on Saturday. By noon on June 4th, the number of searches was trending towards breaking the previous day's record. Similarly, evaporative coolers were most searched for at 11 am on June 3rd and are continuing to be searched extensively. Electric fans alone have seen two surges in search volume this week, at midday on June 2nd and 3rd. However, the 7-day record for this keyword was reached at 12 noon on Saturday.

Personal sunscreens, which were already popular during the summer, are now even more sought after.

Personal sun protection products also saw peak search volumes over the weekend. Specifically, sunscreen and sun-protective jackets were most searched for around noon on June 3rd. Sunglasses, while already heavily searched for since Saturday noon, officially peaked in search volume for the week around Sunday noon. Compared to household goods, the surge in searches for personal protection products wasn't as pronounced. This is because this product category was already in high demand as the country entered summer.

Understanding market sentiment, from the beginning of summer and especially in recent days, many retailers of electrical appliances and household goods have actively prioritized prominent placement on their websites for items that combat the heat. On the Dien May Xanh website, air conditioners, TVs, and refrigerators/washing machines are the top three product categories displayed on the homepage. Similarly, on Nguyen Kim's sales page, air conditioners, refrigerators, and washing machines are the top-ranked product categories. This retailer also runs banners promoting discounts on refrigerators and air conditioners when purchasing other items. Thien Hoa organizes fan and air conditioner festivals. Dien May Cho Lon extensively promotes installment payment options for air conditioners and refrigerators…

On personal Facebook pages, sunscreen products such as jackets and sun-protective gloves are heavily promoted. Sunscreen, in particular, is primarily advertised as imported from South Korea, the US, France, etc., aiming to appeal to the psychology of Vietnamese consumers.

Moreover, throughout the two weekend days, the keyword "hot weather" was used by individuals and businesses on Facebook for marketing, ranging from related products like air conditioners, sunscreens, face masks, and sunglasses... to less related products like backpacks, fashion clothing, and perfumes...

According to VNE