High Street Sales Skyrocket As Hot Weather Boosts UK Retail Sales

As temperatures leaped into the high 20’s, with Thursday making the hottest April day for nearly 70 years. According to report from Waitrose a 400% rise in sun cream sales, a 270% jump in barbeque food and a 54% rise in rose wine.

It is also expected a 300% rise in ice-cube and a 150% boost in beer sales.

“Our forecasting team closely monitors the weather as a rise in temperature of even just a few degrees will see huge shifts in buying patterns,” a Waitrose spokesperson said.

In mean time Sainsbury’s was anticipating a 150% boost in ice-cream sales and a huge jump of 365% sales in the amount of barbeque coal purchased.

On the other side its biggest rival Tesco expected to sell 3 million ice-lollies, 2 million boxes of strawberries and 8 million sausages.

Argos also saw a 150% jump in sales of garden seating while selling twice as many barbeques as usual.

A sharp increase in sales also enjoyed by Fashion retailers as high street footfall jumped 15%.

Online fashion giant Asos reportedly sold 16,000 pairs of sunglasses over four days, with 60% jump in sales of shorts and 100% rise in vest tops.

Following a dismal March in which retail sales fell 1.2%, which doubled analyst’s expectation of 0.6%.

March’s poor performance was attributed to the extreme weather conditions making sales “even worse than anticipated”. Though the heatwave provided a desperately needed shot in the arm for the retail industry, its short rise in sales is not thought to be enough to offset March’s sales drop.