Home ice makers become the "new favorite in summer" for young people

Although autumn has arrived, the temperature is still high in many areas. With the high temperature since this summer, the "ice economy" has also shown an increasingly "hot" trend. Among them, edible ice cups and household ice makers have become a "new blue ocean" of consumption. According to Pinduoduo data, since March this year, the overall sales of ice makers on the platform have increased by 40% year-on-year, and the monthly sales in July alone are expected to reach tens of millions of yuan; the monthly sales of household ice makers in some stores can even exceed 10,000 units. In addition, new species such as smart refrigerators with ice bar functions, under-counter air conditioners for kitchens, and high-speed air circulation fans have also been bought into the "blue ocean market" by more and more consumers.

Some netizens call the crystal clear ice the "soul" of summer drinks. On Xiaohongshu, the topics of "ice makers" and "homemade ice drinks" are very popular, and the number of views of related discussions has exceeded 340 million times; small ice makers appear in many DIY production videos of Internet celebrity drinks. "On the one hand, it's the refreshing feeling of 'cooling down', and on the other hand, it's the visual experience of the beverage." Miao Miao (pseudonym), who just bought an ice maker this summer, said, "But putting the ice tray in the freezer with quick-frozen food will inevitably cause the taste to mix, so I bought an ice maker online."

In addition to the home cold drink scene, in the summer tea rooms of many urban offices, in order to meet the employees' needs for coffee and cold drinks, an ice maker is often equipped next to the coffee machine. The current cold drink business has deviated from the simple "thirst quenching" and "heat relieving" attributes. At the same time, with the diversification of the trend of home DIY beverages, the market demand for ice-making products has been stimulated. The scene of obtaining edible ice cubes is also constantly expanding. In addition to buying traditional ice tray molds, you can also use household ice bags and ice makers; in addition, ready-made ice cups sold in convenience stores are also one of the options. However, compared to going out to buy ready-made ice cups, ice makers that can produce ice at any time are obviously more convenient and can meet specific needs. Home ice makers not only greatly shorten the time of making ice cubes, but also control the water quality and sanitary conditions of ice cubes made by yourself, making them safer and more hygienic.

On e-commerce platforms, most home ice makers are priced between 200 yuan and 600 yuan; these ice makers are usually small in size and can be placed on desks. They feature quick ice production in 6-8 minutes, and the amount of ice produced at one time can be used by 1-2 people. Since June, the sales volume of ice makers on Tmall has increased by more than 315% year-on-year, becoming another new category on Tmall that has exceeded 100 million. From June 15 to July 15, the transaction volume of ice makers on Douyin e-commerce increased by more than 100% year-on-year, and the transaction volume of coffee machines doubled year-on-year. Among them, portable coffee machines, square ice makers and other products are very popular among consumers.

According to Pinduoduo data, the consumption scale of ice makers in the third-tier market is currently the largest, followed by the second-tier market and the new first-tier market; due to the continued high temperature in the southern region this summer, the top three cities in terms of ice maker demand on Pinduoduo and Suning.com are Guangdong, Zhejiang and Jiangsu. At the same time, household ice makers are also accelerating their overseas expansion. "Last year, we mainly exported directly from the factory. This year, we have contacted cross-border merchants, traders, and foreign customers, and there are a lot of customers who come to consult us." A salesperson at a household ice factory said that many overseas customers have seen the market value and audience of ice makers.