Heatwave boosts Huski’s global sales of champagne coolers

A Taranaki-based company has recorded a notable rise in global exports of its patented ice-free champagne cooler, with demand surging across the Northern Hemisphere amid record-setting heatwaves.

Huski, which began operations in a farm shed in New Zealand, has shipped its largest export order to date, sending 76,000 coolers to the UK and achieving the number-one seller status in its category on Amazon across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.

The company is set to double its eight-figure annual revenue this financial year, aided by heightened sales as regions across the globe face unusually high temperatures. According to Huski, nearly one million of its beer and wine coolers have now been exported to more than 50 countries, including Germany, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates.

Record heat bolsters demand

This growth has followed an unprecedented summer, with extreme heat across Europe and the United States. Spain reached a national record of 46°C in June, Portugal recorded its hottest day for that month at 46.6°C in Mora, and France registered its hottest June day since 1947. England also experienced its highest recorded average for June. In the United States, cities such as Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Houston have endured prolonged periods exceeding 40°C, breaking local historical records.

What started as a simple prototype crafted from PVC pipe now comprises a patent-pending product range stocked in more than 500 retail stores in New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and the United States. Huski's coolers have also been featured in various international media outlets, including Rolling Stone, Vogue, GQ, and Oprah's Favourite Things.

Innovation in wine cooling

"Sparkling wines like Champagne and Prosecco are particularly sensitive to temperature and experts recommend serving them between 6°C and 10°C to preserve both flavour and carbonation.

Once opened, the carbon dioxide that creates bubbles begins to escape rapidly, especially as the wine warms. Our Champagne cooler not only maintains the ideal temperature range for up to six hours without ice, it also features the patent-pending BubbleLock Bottle Stopper, which helps slow the loss of effervescence and extend the drinking experience. We believe it's a world-first feature,"

said Simon Huesser, Huski Co-founder.

Huesser explained that since Champagne was first crafted in the 1600s, the traditional ice bucket has remained the standard for cooling, with little innovation.

"US beer cans are 355ml, Australia's are typically 375ml and New Zealand is predominantly 330ml - with a mix of other formats.

The realisation that there was no one-size-fits-all solution across markets led us to develop a more universal product range. That's when we saw real potential, and why we started collecting bottles and cans from recycling bins to get the sizing right,"

he said.

Customer demand for new product adaptations has played a significant role in the company's expansion. After the original beer cooler garnered positive consumer feedback for its ability to keep beverages cold without condensation, customers called for a similar product suitable for wine and sparkling beverages.

"Designing for sparkling wine came with a new set of challenges. The bottles are larger, the shapes more varied, and the drink itself, with its effervescence and sense of occasion, demanded something more than a simple size upgrade.

We focused on the full experience, not just keeping bubbly cold. That meant researching bottle variations, testing with real users, and thinking about how every detail, including the packaging, could enhance both performance and perception."

Huesser said.

The company's champagne cooler uses vacuum-insulated stainless steel construction and features a stopper integrated into the base. This stopper slows carbon dioxide loss, preserving the beverage's effervescence for up to six hours.

"The solution isn't complicated but it's thoughtful and as the stopper lives in the base of the cooler, it's always on hand when you need it, not lost in a drawer somewhere."

Huesser said the unique design drew the attention of the Red Dot Design Awards, positioning the company alongside acknowledged brands such as Apple, Dyson, and Ferrari.

"The Red Dot Design Award is one of the most prestigious design competitions globally.

Winning the 2025 Award has been a career highlight. It means being recognised by more than 40 international experts for innovation, functionality and aesthetic appeal. It puts us in the company of brands like Apple, Dyson and Ferrari,"

he said.

Protecting intellectual property

With rising brand awareness internationally, Huski has encountered significant challenges in defending its intellectual property.

"As a design-led business, we have had to be proactive about IP protection from day one.

We now run monthly sweeps to identify copycat products and have successfully taken down hundreds of infringing listings. It is not just about stopping imitators, it is about safeguarding the value of the research, testing, and design work we have invested in,"

Huesser noted.

This approach has at times generated unexpected business opportunities. Huesser described one instance where the interception of a shipment of 15,000 infringing coolers heading to Australia led to a legitimate commercial deal after discussions with the importer.

Expanding market footprint

"We typically enter new markets through Amazon, then expand through our direct-to-consumer eCommerce websites, retail partnerships and loyalty programmes.

This approach has driven significant growth in markets like Australia and the UK, where sales have more than doubled in the past 12 months alone.

We have grown from selling to friends and family in New Zealand to exporting over 1.5 million products worldwide.

More than three-quarters of our business now comes from overseas, and that growth is continuing,"

said Huesser.