Sales of fans, ice cubes and sunscreen surge during May UK heatwave

Fans are selling at a rate of three a minute and sales of ice cubes have tripled, retailers have said, as shoppers search for everything from ice baths to cooling eye masks to combat May’s record temperatures.

The UK experienced a “tropical night” on Monday after temperatures earlier in the day had hit a provisional all-time meteorological spring record of 34.8C (94.6F) at Kew Gardens in south-west London. The record was broken again on Tuesday when temperatures provisionally reached 35C (95F) at Heathrow and Kew Gardens.

The heat is driving a surge in demand for certain goods. Tesco said that, compared with the previous week, sales of ice cubes had tripled during the heatwave, while sunscreen sales rose almost sixfold. A spokesperson said: “We sold more than 30 times as many electric fans.”

British homes have historically been built to trap heat, leading to stifling indoor conditions during recent heatwaves. But retail data shows how shoppers are spending to stay comfortable.

An estimated 4m homes in the UK now have air conditioning, double the figure from three years ago, as Britons complain of “unliveable” conditions during high temperatures.

Portable units with power ratings of about 1kW are slightly more common than more powerful built-in versions, which can use up to 2.7kW of power – more than an electric oven.

Experts suggest the increase in ownership is the result of more people working from home and rising summer temperatures. Some of the UK’s warmest summers have occurred in recent years, and the UK’s hottest day was recorded in July 2022, when temperatures hit 40C. The climate crisis is making every heatwave more intense and more likely to happen.

For those without cooling systems, fans are the next best thing, with manufacturers reporting they are selling out fast. Ciaran Murphy, the chief executive of the electrical group Dimplex, said fans were “selling at a rate of three units per minute”.

He said: “While we anticipated strong interest following the launch in April, the speed and scale of demand has well exceeded our initial forecasts.”

Murphy added: “Consumers are becoming increasingly proactive about preparing their homes for hotter temperatures, and we’re seeing more people invest in practical cooling solutions earlier in the season.”

Households are also swapping heavy bedding for low-tog summer duvets and installing blackout blinds to block out the sun. Online retailer Ufurnish said searches for blackout blinds last week rose by 118%, parasol searches increased by 384% and outdoor rug searches climbed 158%. People also searched for bird baths, sun loungers and hammocks.

Predictably, barbecue sales are also surging. Purchase data from Klarna shows sales were up 49% month-on-month from March to April and 18% year-on-year compared with April 2025. Klarna said there had also been a shift towards weatherproofing: pergola purchases rose 45% month-on-month, while outdoor gazebo sales increased 101% over the same period.

Klarna also noted strong sales of meat thermometers, grill mats, folding chairs, picnic tables and cool boxes.

Ocado said barbecue choices were being inspired by global flavours and spice. Its sales data showed smash burger sales up 63%, Pimm’s sales rising at a similar rate over the last week, and searches for spicy margaritas up 81%.

Marks & Spencer said searches for “tinnies” – a can of alcohol – had surged 133% week-on-week. Before the bank holiday weekend, the retailer predicted it would sell more than 350,000 units between Friday and Monday – the equivalent of 150 cans every minute.

The classic G&T remains the UK’s favourite canned cocktail overall, it said. Northern regions are leading the spritz boom, the retailer said, noting that piña coladas were more popular in Essex and south Wales.

Meanwhile, Net World Sports, a UK sports equipment retailer, said ice baths were becoming increasingly popular, with views on its website up 118% and sales up 200%.

“The ice bath spike is particularly interesting, as there is crossover from them starting as a recovery tool for elite athletes to a more mainstream audience, with many consumers turning to cold-water therapy as a way to cope with the heat,” a company spokesperson said.

Compared with the same bank holiday last year, the retailer said parasol revenue was up 94%, gazebo unit sales rose 133%, and inflatable paddleboard sales doubled.

Others looked to cooling eye masks to keep comfortable. Helloskin said sales of its eye mask tripled during the weekend heatwave, with customers putting them in the fridge before use.

The British Blanket Company reported a 150% week-on-week increase in picnic blanket sales over the last seven days, led by its bright rainbow stripe and juniper and moss wildweave ranges.