(Yicai Global) July 5 -- Sales of sun protection clothing have almost tripled during Tmall's 618 e-commerce shopping festival amid the hot summer months.

The number of such items purchased by a single customer doubled or even tripled during the shopping carnival from a year earlier, China News Service reported yesterday, citing the platform owned by Alibaba Group Holding.

From January to June, brands such as Uniqlo, as well as domestic activewear sellers Beneunder and Bananain, increased their sales of garments that are designed to protect the skin from UV light, per Zhang Yu’ang, executive in charge of a center of SMZDM, an online shopping guide. Some brands even boosted sales over six times, Zhang added.

Even men are starting to pay attention to the risks posed by excessive sunlight. Six out of the top 10 sun-proof clothing items that got the highest gross merchandise volume on e-commerce platforms during the 618 season can be worn by men or by both genders, per the SMZDM.

Last year, the largest portion or over 30 percent of white-collar buyers of sun-protective clothing said the acceptable unit price is between CNY100 and CNY149.9 (USD14 to USD21), according to iiMedia Research. The second-most popular range was between CNY60 and CNY99.9 (USD8 to USD14).

Over recent years, the demand for sun-protective clothing has been prosperous, Huajing Industry Research Institute wrote in a recent report. The corresponding market was sized CNY67.5 billion (USD9.3 billion) last year with a compound annual growth rate of almost 6 percent from 2016. This year it is expected to grow to CNY74.2 billion.

Editor: Emmi Laine