Sub-zero temperatures have persisted in Hungary for more than a week, while periods of intense snowfall and harsher-than-usual winter conditions have significantly influenced consumer preferences on eMAG’s platform.
Compared to recent years, the unusually severe weather has triggered a sharp shift in purchasing behavior, boosting demand for both practical winter essentials and seasonal leisure products.
Seventyfold increase in snow removal and de-icing products
Compared to the same period last year, Hungarian users placed seventy times more orders related to snow removal and slip prevention. Alongside metal and plastic snow shovels and car ice scrapers, demand surged for road salt, calcium chloride approved for sidewalk de-icing, and other alternative anti-slip materials used on public roads and pedestrian areas.
Sleds and snow tubes see explosive growth
Orders for sleds and similar winter toys were more than twenty times higher than in the first days of last year. In addition to traditional wooden sleds, plastic models and inflatable, easy-to-transport snow tubes proved especially popular. A typical Hungarian customer spent HUF 10,000–12,000 on such items via eMAG.
Preparing for winter driving: batteries, tires and snow chains
Products linked to winter driving also recorded strong growth. Orders for car batteries were 48 times higher than at the beginning of 2024, with average prices ranging between HUF 30,000 and 40,000.
Demand for safety and technical accessories—including first-aid kits, reflective vests, jumper cables and similar low-cost items—tripled year-on-year. Tire sales also increased sharply: orders for winter and all-season tires doubled, at average prices of HUF 20,000–30,000, while snow chain orders were three times higher than a year earlier.
Warmer boots sell better as cold persists
While cold weather was also present at the start of last year, the extended frost in early 2025 led to a 30% increase in orders for boots and winter footwear during the first two weeks of the year, compared to their already stable baseline demand.
Women’s boots, especially brands such as UGG, Guess and Skechers, were the most sought-after, while sales of men’s winter boots rose even faster, with 1.5 times more orders year-on-year. eMAG also recorded significant growth in demand for ice cleats designed for walking on icy surfaces, as well as insulated winter insoles.
