Taobao.com experienced an increase in online orders for masks, air purifiers, sportswear and condoms. (Photo : www.china.org.cn)
Recent search ratings provided by Taobao.com revealed that sales on anti-pollution products, condoms and sportswear spiked following the heavy smog that covered northern China, according to a report by China Daily. Numbers suggest that online orders and the severe pollution are correlated.
Taobao.com experienced an increase in online orders for masks, air purifiers, sportswear and condoms. Orders for condoms from affected cities were much higher compared to cities with cleaner air.
One of the main reasons for this phenomenon is that people living in affected cities don't want to get pregnant on smoggy days, according to Taobao.
Online orders for sportswear, on the other hand, are much more expected from affected cities. This indicates the desire to remain fit and healthy despite the severe pollution in the area.
Meanwhile, sales of traditional anti-pollution products remain sturdy and profitable amid the smog. Taobao's seven-day search index for masks reached 116 percent over the past week.
"I think I have to wear a mask on such severely polluted days, that it should be better than wearing nothing. But I doubt if it actually works," shared 26-year-old Du Ni, who ordered 50 marks online last month, in an interview with China Daily.
The public consumption of healthcare products has also been affected by the heavy smog in northern China--an indicator of anxiety consumption, according to the Taobao report.
The surge of sales in such products are nothing new in China. Sales of protective products tend to increase significantly due to pollution and smog alerts as well as other natural causes.
