Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Yesterday (Tuesday, July 19), as the UK basked in the warmest day of the year according to national weather service the Met Office, Waitrose revealed that shoppers are looking for the most cooling treats, with sales of sorbet soaring by 49% compared with last year.
The high temperatures have also inspired the grocery multiple’s customers to have a go at making their own sorbet at home, with recipe searches for Kiwi Sorbet up 37% and Lemon Sorbet up 24% on Waitrose.com.
Shoppers are also adopting a more Mediterranean style for mealtimes, Waitrose claimed. Sales of olives and antipasti platters are currently up 13% at the supermarket chain, compared with the previous week.
Tropical fruits are also seeing a rise in sales with mangoes proving to be the fruit of choice with an increase of 39%, closely followed by pomegranates up by 33%, and passion fruit up 31%.
Waitrose ice cream buyer Christopher Moore said: “As the weather changes, so do our shoppers’ cravings. When the weather is warm, tubs of ice cream are the most popular choice. But when temperatures soar, shoppers switch to even more cooling options such as sorbet.
“The other switch during a heatwave is to anything hand-held, so we’re stocking up on extra choc ices, cones and children’s ice lollies to help our customers beat the heat.”
