Key Summary
- Fruit sales up at Tesco as heatwave boosts demand for refreshing, hydrating foods.
- Cooling products like fans and air conditioners see sales spike across Toolstation and Lakeland.
- Wimbledon fever fuels indulgence, with Waitrose reporting triple-digit growth in strawberries, Pimm’s, and champagne.
The UK is seeing a sharp surge in seasonal sales, fueled by rising temperatures and the buzz around major cultural events like Wimbledon.
Supermarket Tesco has reported an “unprecedented” 10 per cent spike in fruit sales over the past three weeks, with berries, stone fruit, melons, grapes, and bananas all hitting record volumes.
The UK’s biggest supermarket has already ramped up fruit orders to keep pace with the demand, citing high-quality crops from local growers benefiting from increased sunshine.
Independent quoted Simon Reeves, Tesco’s fruit category buying manager, as saying, “We’ve never seen this level of fruit demand over such a short period. It’s been driven by the heat, but also by the exceptional quality of this year’s produce.”
And it’s not just fruit that’s flying off the shelves. Tesco is gearing up to sell 750,000 burger packs, nearly eight million units of ice creams and lollies, and more than 100,000 bottles of Pimm’s as the UK enters its third heatwave in four weeks.
Meanwhile, Waitrose is seeing a Wimbledon windfall, reporting a 300 per cent spike in tournament-related food sales.
British strawberries are up 140 per cent, clotted cream and Pimm’s have surged, and champagne sales have rocketed 231 per cent in the past week.
Will Torrent, senior innovation chef at Waitrose, said, “Customers aren’t just buying treats—they’re connecting with a cultural moment. Wimbledon and summer heat are combining to drive indulgent, feel-good purchases.”
Other retailers are also seeing the heat effect.
Toolstation has seen sales of cooling fans jump 178 per cent, while Lakeland is struggling to keep up with demand, with fan sales up 80 per cent year-on-year. Portable air conditioners are also becoming a hot-ticket item.