Retailers are reporting a sharp rise in demand for fans, ice cubes, sunscreen, barbecues and outdoor living products as shoppers look for ways to stay cool during the UK’s record-breaking May heatwave.

The Met Office said Kew Gardens reached a provisional 35.1C on Tuesday 26 May, breaking the UK May and meteorological spring temperature record for the second consecutive day. It followed a 34.8C reading at the same site on Monday, while the UK also experienced a “tropical night” as temperatures remained above 20C in some areas.

Tesco said sales of ice cubes had tripled compared with the previous week, while sunscreen sales rose almost sixfold. The supermarket added that it sold more than 30 times as many electric fans as shoppers rushed to prepare for the hotter weather.

Fan manufacturers have also seen demand accelerate. Dimplex chief executive Ciaran Murphy said fans were “selling at a rate of three units per minute”.

“While we anticipated strong interest following the launch in April, the speed and scale of demand has well exceeded our initial forecasts,” he told The Guardian.

“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.”

The surge comes as UK households increasingly look for ways to manage hotter summers. More than 4m homes are now estimated to have air conditioning, double the figure from three years ago, as rising temperatures and home working reshape demand for cooling products.

Home and garden categories have also benefited from the warm weather. Ufurnish said searches for blackout blinds jumped 118 per cent last week, while parasol searches surged 384 per cent and outdoor rug searches rose 158 per cent.

The furniture search platform also reported increased interest in bird baths, sun loungers and hammocks as shoppers prepared gardens for the heat.

Barbecue demand is rising too. Klarna purchase data showed barbecue sales were up 49 per cent month on month from March to April and 18 per cent higher than April 2025.

The payments firm said shoppers were also investing in weatherproofing their outdoor spaces, with pergola purchases up 45 per cent month on month and outdoor gazebo sales rising 101 per cent.

Klarna also recorded strong demand for meat thermometers, grill mats, folding chairs, picnic tables and cool boxes.

Ocado said shoppers were leaning into summer entertaining, with sales of smash burgers up 63 per cent and Pimm’s sales rising at a similar rate over the past week. Searches for spicy margaritas were up 81 per cent.

Marks & Spencer said searches for “tinnies” had jumped 133 per cent week on week ahead of the bank holiday weekend. The retailer predicted it would sell more than 350,000 cans between Friday and Monday, equivalent to around 150 every minute.

The retailer said the classic gin and tonic remained the UK’s favourite canned cocktail overall, while northern regions were leading demand for spritz-style drinks.

Cooling and recovery products are also seeing a boost. Net World Sports said views of ice baths on its website rose 118 per cent, while sales jumped 200 per cent.

“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 spokesperson said.

The sports equipment retailer added that, compared with the same bank holiday last year, parasol revenue was up 94 per cent, gazebo unit sales rose 133 per cent and inflatable paddleboard sales doubled.

Beauty and wellbeing retailers are also benefiting from the hot weather. Helloskin said sales of its cooling eye mask tripled during the weekend heatwave, with customers putting the product in the fridge before use.

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

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