Huang Yuting (L)/Sheng Lihao of China compete during the 10m air rifle mixed team gold medal match of shooting between China and South Korea at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Chateauroux, France, on July 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

After the world champion Huang Yuting won the gold medal in the 10m air rifle mixed team event on Saturday, the hairpin she wore in the honor moment attracted public attention and became trending online. Some Chinese e-economic platforms have witnessed a surge in related products' searches and sales.

The Global Times discovered that a shop ranked first in orders for the hairpin on Alibaba's Tmall received over 1,000 orders within 24 hours from Saturday. Even shops with lower rankings received more than 200 orders over the same period.

Hunag Yuting and Sheng Lihao won the 10m air rifle mixed team event on Saturday.

A staff worker from the e-commerce platform Taobao told the Global Times on Sunday that the inquiries about the hairpin have increased significantly since Saturday, with the platform's customer service staff made to work overtime.

"Previously, our customers didn't need to wait for service, but now each new inquiry is waiting behind 10-20 others," Taobao now ranks first in orders for this kind of hairpin on Taobao told the Global Times on Sunday.

"We already received more than 50 orders after we promoted this hairpin from Saturday evening," a sales manager from another retailer on Tmall.com told the Global Times on Sunday.

Moreover, various marketing efforts have emerged online, including tutorials on how to wear the hairpin and Huang Yuting's hair-styling tips, further promoting the hairpin sales.

The Global Times found that the hairpin has been gaining public attention not only due to its cute design but also is seen to express public admiration for China's Olympic champions.

"China's e-commerce platforms are globally leading in terms of efficiency and development," Liang Zhenpeng, a Beijing-based industry analyst told the Global Times on Sunday. Liang said that the market sensitiveness of the sales combined with intelligent promotion by the e-commerce platforms enabled the product to be a hot sale.

Experts said that the phenomenon has occurred in previous Olympic Games, with public admiration translating into massive sales.

"Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao won China's first gold medal at the Paris Olympics, I was amazed by her achievement and age. I hope my similarities with the Olympic champions go beyond just this hairpin, encompassing their dedication and hard work," Xu Yunruo, who was quick to purchase the hairpin, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Seizing the new opportunity, many online stores have started to promote the hairpin on Sunday. 


Global Times