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Portable Ice Makers: The Heatwave Winner Reshaping the "Cooling Economy"

Recently, many European countries have been hit by rare extreme heatwaves, with temperatures in Germany, France, Italy and elsewhere repeatedly exceeding 40°C. As a result, cooling appliances have gone out of stock across the European market. Lightweight, plug-and-play "heatwave saviors"—portable ice makers—have quickly become the top choice for European consumers, thanks to their advantages of requiring no installation, on-demand use, and flexible application across various scenarios.

According to industry data, the global consumer ice maker market has grown from RMB 4.92 billion in 2019 to RMB 7.49 billion in 2024, representing a compound annual growth rate of 8.8%, and is projected to reach RMB 9.79 billion by 2028. In the domestic market alone, data from Qichacha shows that as of June 2026, there are 42,500 ice-making related enterprises in China. In 2025, the number of newly registered enterprises exceeded 10,000 for the first time, up 62.19% year-on-year, hitting a decade-high and signaling continuously rising momentum in this sector.

Amid this "cooling economy" wave driven by scorching temperatures, portable ice makers are rapidly transforming from traditional optional consumer goods into everyday necessities covering multiple scenarios—home, office, outdoor camping, and beyond. From Yiwu merchants reporting extended order backlogs to home ice maker categories consistently topping Amazon's bestseller charts, global consumers' pursuit of "ice freedom" is driving the entire industry chain into a new phase of growth.