Orders skyrocketed by 290%! Chinese niche products have been sold out in Russia, and sellers have made a huge profit!

This winter, wherever the cold winds of Siberia blow, orders for Chinese heaters fly there as well.

Temperatures dozens of degrees below zero are no joke. This biting cold air has unexpectedly made Chinese-made products popular in thousands of Russian households.

Image source: Russian Satellite News Agency

Search volume soars, severe cold ignites niche markets

The heat of the market cannot be hidden. Before pressing the purchase button, consumers have already left their footprints on search engines.

In the past90 days, global searches for “heated blanket” have remained at a high level. Among them, the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, Canada and other countries have shown particularly high interest in heating topics.

Search heat for heated blanket in the United States in the past90 days. Image source: Google Trends

More specifically, in the past30 days, local searches in Russia for “heater” have soared since the end of October.

Search heat for heater in Russia in the past30 days. Image source: Google Trends

Demand is mainly concentrated in Ivanovo Oblast, Krasnodar Krai, Moscow Oblast, Moscow, and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, among other regions.

Main areas of search heat in Russia Image source:Google Trends

Meanwhile, keywords for specific products such as xiaomimi smart space heater s, heater shield, log heater, oil heater, parking heater, etc., have also rapidly increased in popularity, showing consumers’ clear purchase intentions.

Other keywords with soaring popularity Image source:Google Trends

According to the latest research by Next Move Strategy Consulting, Russia’s HVAC market reached $3.99 billion in 2023 and is expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 3.0%. It is expected to grow to $5.12 billion by 2030.

Its long winters and heating systems that do not cover the whole year are providing a stable and long-term demand window for Chinese cross-border sellers.

Image source:NMSC

Orders surge, many Chinese-made products nearly sold out

The real feedback from the market is even hotter than the data.

SinceAugust this year, as temperatures dropped in major cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg, demand for heating products has exploded.

According to data from Russian local search engineYandex, in just ten days from August 14 to August 24, the number of orders for heater-related electrical products surged by 290% compared to early August!

Sales of electric textiles such as heating pads and heated blankets increased by as much as280%.

Image source:Ozon

Onmainstream Russian e-commerce platforms such as Ozon and Wildberries, competition for heating equipment is particularly fierce.

There is a wide variety of products, from floor radiators and fan heaters to mini desktop heaters, all available. Among them,Ballu, Neoline, Xiaomi and other brands are especially popular with consumers.

Currently, an obvious trend is that products with multifunctional designs are more favored. For example, heating devices equipped with remote controls, adjustable in multiple gears, with humidification functions, or that can be intelligently controlled viaAPP have the best sales performance.

Takethe Tehnodevize brand portable fan heater as an example. It is almost sold out on the platform, with only 3 units left. The brand’s small desktop smart heater is also about to be sold out.

Image source:Ozon

Why has Chinese manufacturing become the“warm baby”of Russian households?

Faced with this tempting cake, how can Chinese sellers cut a big slice?

The key is to understand the market and people’s hearts.

First, turn heating into a scenario-based solution.

This means we need to deeply understand the heating needs of Russians in different scenarios.

At home, they need portable devices that can quickly warm up a room, such as fan heaters that heat up instantly;

When it comes to sleeping or staying still, close-fitting electric blankets and electric mattresses become their“life-saving artifacts.”

As for driving out, car heaters and heated seat cushions instantly become a must-have for drivers.

Here, sellers should be reminded that to enter this market,EAC certification and European standard plugs are essential “passes,” so be sure to prepare them in advance.

Image source:Ozon

Second, products should cater to their preferences.

Russian consumers pay great attention to the hard indicators of products when shopping.

In addition to basic heating, smart features are becoming increasingly popular, such as using a mobile phoneAPP for remote preheating, so people can enjoy warmth as soon as they get home; at the same time, energy saving is also key, as it directly relates to long-term electricity expenses, and budget-conscious families naturally prefer high-efficiency products.

In addition, safe, high-power, fast-heating, and wide-coverage products will always have buyers, while compact and portable desktop heaters are becoming the new favorites of office workers seeking personal comfort space.

Finally, learn to do business as the locals do.

It is understood that once Russians recognize a brand, it is hard to change their minds.

Therefore, Chinese sellers need to actively enter their world and settle inOzon, Wildberries and other mainstream local e-commerce platforms that they frequent, which is like opening a shop right at their doorstep.

At the same time, make good use ofTikTok and other social media platforms, and by posting content such as real family usage scenarios, get into their hearts and let them truly feel: “Look, this Chinese product really can solve our winter problems!”

Image source:TikTok

Final words

The essence of business opportunities is always to discover and meet unmet needs.

When the cold winds of Siberia blow year after year, they bring not only severe cold, but also a repeatedly proven, definite market signal.

Now, the market is ready. Are you ready to seize this cross-border money-making opportunity?