While warm weather usually results in people spending more time outdoors, the extreme heat of recent weeks has seen over half of people opt to stay indoors and 71% of shoppers said their usual food and drink choices were different during hot weather.
New data from IGD ShopperVista shows that 56% of people stayed at home during bouts of hot weather and almost half (47%) claimed that they did not enjoy the heat.
As people focused on keeping cool and conserving energy, 82% looked to have lighter meals, driven by reduced appetites (69%) and reluctance to cook in the heat (67%). As a result, 44% buying more salads and chilled sides and 25% purchased more convenient, easy-to-prepare foods such as ready meals and ‘picky bits’.
Hydration and refreshment categories saw some of the strongest uplift, with 47% buying more soft drinks than usual and 37% buying more bottled water. Ice cream and lollies were the most sought-after items, with 64% of shoppers buying more than usual, while 42% bought more fresh fruit, highlighting the importance of fresh, chilled and seasonal ranges during periods of extreme heat. 14% bought more alcoholic drinks than usual during the heatwave, rising to 24% of 18–24-year-olds.
The research also shows that hot weather can prompt more reactive shopping missions. 62% of shoppers agreed that hot weather changes how they shop, while 22% made more impulse purchases than usual. Some shoppers used convenience stores to stock up on last-minute drinks, snacks and other heatwave essentials, while others turned to quick commerce to shop without leaving home.
The World Cup also amplified occasion-led behaviour. Seventy per cent of consumers followed the tournament, up from the 59% who had planned to do so pre-tournament. A third said the hot weather affected how they celebrated the World Cup, while 64% said late match timings affected celebrations.
Annie McGoff, IGD Analyst, said: “When high temperatures coincide with major events, shoppers can shift quickly between planned missions, top-up shops and impulse purchases. Businesses that flex availability, merchandising and promotions around chilled, refreshing, convenient and at-home occasion-led products are best placed to respond. Clear signposting, meal inspiration and relevant bundles can also help shoppers make quicker decisions, while stronger supply chain resilience will be increasingly important as extreme weather becomes more frequent.”
