Supermarket sales rise 4.6% as heatwave offset by wet weather

Total till sales at UK supermarkets rose 4.6% in the four weeks ending 13 June 2026, improving from 4.2% in the previous period, according to data from NielsenIQ.

The performance was primarily driven by the end of May heatwave, when sales growth at grocery multiples increased 6.3% in the two weeks ending 30 May.

Volume growth rose 2.5% and spend per visit increased 2.3% during the hot weather, before a cooler, wetter fortnight slowed spending growth sharply to 0.4%. Shoppers spent £490m less during the damp two weeks to 13 June, which caused overall volumes to fall 1.7% while consumer confidence remained stagnant at -23.

Retailers relied heavily on price cuts over the four-week period, pushing promotional activity to 25% of total sales compared with 23.5% last year. This strategy was supported by themed promotions for the World Cup, which helped online promotional spend reach 29% as buyers prioritised value, making online shopping the fastest-growing channel this year with a 9.3% increase.

The warm weather heavily influenced specific product categories, driving sales of suncare up 70%, prepared salads up 21%, and fresh dips up 20%. Fresh foods grew 4.4% overall, but frozen items became the fastest-growing super-category at 9.4%, led by a 34% spike in ice cream and a 28% rise in frozen fruit.

The World Cup and social gatherings also boosted drinks sales, as consumers spent £411m on lager – up 7.9% – and £111m on cider, which rose 10%. Soft drinks increased 11.9% by value, while premix alcoholic drinks surged 51% over the four weeks.

Supermarkets saw own-label ranges grow three times faster than branded goods, recording 5.4% growth. Premium own-label lines performed strongly with a 9.1% value increase, while convenience store sales rose 1.7% year on year, outpaced by a 3.6% increase at convenience outlets operated by the major grocery multiples.

Over the period, Ocado was the fastest-growing retailer at 16.1%, followed by Marks and Spencer at 14.3% and Lidl at 9.2%. Co-op sales increased 6.0% and Sainsbury’s rose 3.5%, taking its market share to 15%, while Aldi sales were flat and Asda fell 4.9%.

Mike Watkins, head of retailer and business insight at NielsenIQ, said: “The arrival of hot weather boosted demand for summer essentials, with suncare, ice cream and refreshment-related categories among the fastest growing areas of grocery spend. As well as outdoor dining occasions, dips and sharing foods improved as consumers made the most of the early summer weather and retailers adapted ranges to meet this demand.

“Looking ahead, the second heatwave of the year will likely see another boost to sales into July, conveniently coinciding with the summer of sport. Yet, we still expect lower demand into August when the holiday season disrupts spending.”

He added: “The economic outlook for September is still uncertain with increases in mortgage and energy costs expected and the possibility that accelerating food inflation could start to take a bigger share of disposable incomes, which may add further uncertainty for households. Retailers and brands will therefore need to continue to find innovative ways to encourage shoppers to spend to maintain the current sales momentum.”