Sales of fans, ice cream, paddling pools and burgers rocketed as the heatwave sparked a spending spree on summer essentials. Waitrose has had its biggest week for ice creams, with sales up 36% year on year, while John Lewis’s sales of fans and air conditioning units are up 709% year on year.
Asda sold at least 4.5 million sausages and 1.4 million burgers last week, while charcoal sales increased by 400%. Sales of ready-to-drink spirits in Asda were up 72% compared to an average week, while fan sales increased by 1,300%.
Asda said its paddling pool range saw sales increase by 1,000% compared to the same time the previous week. Waitrose said sales of premium ice cream are up 45% year-on-year.
Joe Sharkey, ice cream buyer for Waitrose, said: “Our ice creams and lollies are continuing to fly off the shelves, as our customers are looking for ways to keep cool. We’ve had our biggest week of ice cream sales ever last week, with sales up by 36% compared to last year – and we’ve still got good availability to help customers beat the heat.”
Elsewhere, Hotel Chocolat co-founder and chief executive Angus Thirlwell told the PA news agency that online chocolate deliveries are suspended.
Mr Thirlwell said: “It’s not great weather for a chocolate maker.”
He added: “It’s typical to suspend chocolate deliveries within the online business when there’s excessive heat. There’s no point in sending them if they’re just going to melt.”
According to the Met Office, the entire stock of a Liverpool chocolate factory melted during a hot spell in August 1990. Meanwhile, the increased heat has not impacted on berry production too negatively, with growers able to meet the demand.
Nick Marston, chairman of British Berry Growers, said: “Generally, yields will be a bit lower as berries ripen faster and don’t quite make the same size as if the berries were left to grow longer. However, the fast ripening creates a flush of crop which, if the good weather is maintained for a few days, which it has, then this meets an increased consumer demand.
“Usually, if the sun is shining then we see more Brits buying berries, outdoor entertaining, summer desserts etc, are all good berry buying occasions.”
