Following the hot spell in May, Talysis announced a welcome £30 million sales boost for the struggling convenience channel – with every extra degree over the expected seasonal average temperature worth an extra £3 million in sales for the sector. June’s recent heatwave has led to further sales increases, with two categories in particular smashing all records.
Soft drinks broke their value sales record twice in the space of four weeks. Value sales reached £114m in the week ending 27 June, beating the previous record of £105m, which was only set over the Bank Holiday week ending 31 May. In fact, last week was the best week in the last two years for ALL the main sub-categories across soft drinks – water, carbonates, energy, juice/smoothies and health/lifestyle – and even across both impulse and take-home sectors.
Ice cream also had a record week last week, with value sales reaching £18.2m, a huge 56 per cent higher than last year’s peak, which was coincidentally on the same week last year, when sales were £11.6m. Like soft drinks, the ice cream category has broken their value sales record twice in the space of four weeks, with the week ending 31 May seeing sales of £14.8m. And, despite the record temperatures, UK consumers still can’t resist chocolate. Sales of countline chocolate in the week ending 27 June were £8.5 million versus a 52-week average of £10.3 million. Whilst a noticeable drop, this was still a strong performance in the soaring heat – and higher than both Easter week 2026 and the two weeks over Christmas 2025.
“The great British summer this year presents a major and much-needed opportunity for the UK’s independent convenience sector," said Ed Roberts, MD of Talysis Ltd. "As our insights have shown, hotter weather, either a heatwave or simply ‘above average’ temperatures, delivers significant sales increases in the channel. Coupled with the World Cup, Wimbledon and other high profile sporting events, it’s exactly what the sector needs. Although the latest heatwave is now over, there’s another one predicted soon. Retailers need to grab every opportunity they can to demonstrate their convenience now, so that shoppers remember them during the tougher months. Stock up on the key categories to maximise availability, make sure relevant SKUs are chilled, and communicate effectively to your customers and potential customers.”