Supermarket sales jump 5.8% amid summer heatwave
Despite the uplift, NIQ said shoppers remained cautious as the number of items bought per trip fell 4% year on year, although the number of shopping occasions rose 5.6%
Total Till sales at UK supermarkets rose 5.8% in the four weeks to 12 July 2025, up from 3.8% in June, according to data released by NielsenIQ (NIQ).
The rise coincided with three heatwaves and the hottest week of the year, as well as major sporting events including Wimbledon and the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025. NielsenIQ said these factors boosted impulse purchases, with sales peaking at 7.9% during the hottest week.
Sales of air conditioners, fans and humidifiers jumped 135% as shoppers sought to keep cool in the heat.
Unit sales of soft drinks rose 14%, with value sales up 21%. Frozen food sales grew 12%, driven by demand for ice cream and desserts. General merchandise sales also saw gains, supported by outdoor living and dining purchases.
Sales of traditional summer items also experienced a boost, cider saw an 11.2% rise in value, while fresh cream rose 13.8%. Shoppers spent £132m on strawberries over the four weeks, up 18.5% in value and 15.3% in volume.
Despite the uplift, NIQ said shoppers remained cautious as the number of items bought per trip fell 4% year on year, although the number of shopping occasions rose 5.6%, suggesting more frequent trips in search of savings across supermarkets, discounters and value retailers.
Retailers have continued to focus on value-for-money initiatives and loyalty-based discounts. Promotional activity accounted for 23% of sales value, slightly down from 24% last year.
Ocado and Lidl were the fastest growing retailers, up 13.1% and 10.3% respectively. Discounters remained the strongest channel, with fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sales up 8.7% and nearly two-thirds of households shopping at either Aldi or Lidl in the past month.
Sales at Sainsbury’s rose 5.0%, while Tesco recorded 4.9% growth. Morrisons and Asda lagged with increases of 0.7% and a decline of 2.3% respectively. Waitrose sales rose 4.8%.
Mike Watkins, head of retailer and business insight at NIQ, said: “While Asda sales are still in decline, the trend is improving. Despite the average spend per visit being down due to the deflationary impact of Rollback prices, there are green shoots of recovery as the percentage of shoppers visiting Asda held at just over 50% over the last 12 weeks. And in the last four weeks, visits were up just over 5% which is in line with the industry.”
Watkins added: “The summer holiday season is now in full swing, but consumer purchasing habits tend to become less predictable during this period. The outlook for the next six weeks depends on two key factors: First, with the rising cost of eating out, shoppers may decide to prepare more meals at home. Second, inflation is expected to climb further, which could affect how much shoppers are able to spend. Nevertheless, price competition among retailers will give shoppers more opportunities to save by comparing prices and shopping around.”
