Heatwaves are becoming a more common occurrence across the UK. As they become a frequent feature of our summers, for retailers it’s important to know how it changes consumer behaviour and how to adapt to ensure sales continue to flourish.
Heatwaves: the impact on shopper habits
The extreme nature of heatwaves tends to have a mixed impact on consumers. Recent research revealed 47% of shoppers* didn’t enjoy the weather and over 50% stayed home due to the high temperatures.
Looking in more detail about how it affects what shoppers are putting in their basket, research highlights:
- Nearly 75% of shoppers said their usual choices are different in a heatwave and 22% said they make more impulse purchases than usual.
- Over 80% chose lighter meals, mainly driven by a reduced appetite (69%).
- 44% of shoppers bought salads and chilled sides due to temperatures, with a quarter selecting easier to prepare food such as ready meals and ‘picky bits’.
- Ice creams were a hit, with 64% buying them more than the average week alongside fresh fruit where 42% bought more.
- Keeping hydrated was important for many and drinks saw a big uplift. 47% bought more soft drinks than usual and nearly 40% bought more bottled water.
- For alcoholic options, 14% bought more alcoholic drinks than usual.
What does this mean for retailers?
Monitoring the effect of heatwaves on consumer habits is important for retailers, to ensure range and availability of key products is right when consumers are faced with more extreme weather.
Our three top tips for when the next heatwave hits:
- Ensure shelves are full with chilled and easy prep food: Heat drives lighter eating, so ensure you stores have strong availability of salads, chilled sides and ready to eat options.
- Maximise impulse friendly treats: Think ice cream, fruit and grab and go snacks. Make sure they are signposted in store and well stocked.
- Keep shoppers hydrated: With hydration a key priority for consumers, expand facings for soft drinks, bottled water and chilled alcohol so they can easily and quickly add to their basket.
Summer is a key sales period for convenience store, so make sure you’ve got your shelves stocked. For our Co-op Wholesale partners, you can find a wide range of summer products available at a great price on OCS. Visit: P11 Summer - Co-op Wholesale
*Source: How the recent heatwave shaped shopper behaviour | IGD ShopperVista