At the peak of the June heatwave, instead of heading out to a pub garden, I found myself sitting in the coolest, darkest corner of my house, hydrating with a bottle of water or Caleño over ice. I wasn’t thinking about wellness or moderation, I was just very hot.
For most of its history, the drinks industry has had one persistent weather problem: it rains too much in Britain and our summers can be unpredictable. A warm summer has reliably and usually meant a boost in alcohol sales – think barbecues, beer gardens and festivals. That sentiment has held for decades, but as we see more extreme weather, something is shifting.
During the May heatwave, low & no alcohol drinks were up 23%, comfortably outpacing the wider beer and cider category, which grew just 6%. Caleño saw a meaningful sales spike too.
During the June heatwave, European health authorities began advising people to actively avoid alcohol, and in Paris, alcohol sales in stores were briefly banned altogether during the peak heat As temperatures in June reached highs of almost 38°C in parts of the UK, the heat was no longer driving ‘we’re going out to grab a drink behaviour’, it was actively suppressing it. Even supermarket fridges struggled to keep up in the most extreme temperatures.
This year we have had two major heatwaves, well before the school holidays have even begun. As I write this article, another is already underway. This patterns suggest extreme summers are becoming the norm, not the exception. The real question isn’t whether this will happen again, it’s how the traditional ranging, serve strategy, and occasion plans built for summers will need to adapt. Perhaps ‘hydration and refreshment’ cross-category fixtures will become commonplace.
I won’t pretend to know what all the solutions are, but I imagine helping consumers avoid dehydration, and keeping them cool and refreshed, will lead to the ultimate winners.
What I do know, though, is the brands and retailers that update their summer playbook now, while heatwaves are still making headlines, will be considerably better placed than those still planning for a Britain of drizzle and lukewarm lager. Warm weather will always sell drinks – the new challenge is figuring out which ones.
No comments yet