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Cold weather boosts search for 'warm' items on e-commerce; see the most sought-after items

According to a survey by startup Simplex, the long-awaited new version of the PlayStation 5 and the Barbie doll also aroused consumer interest in May 

São Paulo, June 2024.

After a start to the year marked by heat waves, the drop in temperature that has prevailed in the Southeast and South of the country since May has already stirred up electronic retailers. Consumers are already on the lookout for items to protect themselves against the cold, according to Radar Simplex, a survey created by the Franco-Brazilian startup Simplex, which monitors searches made by consumers in the country's e-commerces and captures trends through an artificial intelligence platform. At the top of the ranking of the ten most searched terms by consumers, Lorenzetti shower had an increase of 728% compared to April.

"In past editions of Radar, we've seen a very strong recurrence of demand for air-conditioning, which still appears, reflecting the intense heat waves. But as winter approaches, new items are starting to appear on the list," says João Lee, CEO of Simplex.

Another related item was "warm blanket that looks like a comforter", with growth of 20.3% compared to the previous month. According to João, the demand for items with longer specifications (with more than one or two words) is a strong indication that such a product had a high purchase intention.

"Radar generally returns more generic terms, because the consumer is usually still at the research stage. When they get to the bottom of the sales funnel (i.e. buying), it's much more common to see what we call 'long tails', more specific searches. In this case, the comforter is usually a more expensive product. The search for something similar, but which fulfills the same function, shows that Brazilians are looking to save money," he says.

Rumors about the new PS5 and the "Barbie effect"

In second place on the list, PlayStation 5 appears with an evolution of 79% compared to April, probably driven by rumours of a possible launch, still in May, of the updated version of the PS5, the PS 5 PRO - a certification given by Sony to games that have been optimized to make the most of the hardware of this new cross-generational version -, which did not materialize.

The Barbie doll had a 55.8% jump in May. "Since the movie came out, the doll has undeniably had a new boom. Since then, it has appeared in the ranking quite frequently, moving away from more traditional dates such as Children's Day. It's becoming a collector's item," observes Lee.

Other items that saw an increase were 4-burner stoves, speakers and monitors. "It could be a reflection of Mother's Day - and of those who left it too late to buy presents - or it could be that consumers are already anticipating Valentine's Day," explains the CEO.

See below for a complete ranking of the ten items that most aroused Brazilian interest in the country's major e-commerce stores in May and their respective growth compared to April:

  1. Lorenzetti Shower (+728%)
  2. PS5 (+ 79%)
  3. Barbie (+ 55.8%)
  4. Air conditioning (+ 43%)
  5. 4-burner stove (+ 41.3%)
  6. Monitor (+ 35.7%)
  7. Gamer chair (+32.8%)
  8. Warm blanket that looks like a comforter (+20.3%)
  9. Sound box (+12.1%)
  10. Gamer notebook (+ 12%)