Picky Brits: Heatwave fuels surge in finger food spending
Record summer temperatures have driven a surge in “picky bits” spending as British shoppers rush to the chilled aisle in a boost to UK supermarkets.
The sweltering heat is causing Brits to cut back their grocery bills, instead spending little and often on items like olives and quiche, according to figures from Worldpanel by Numerator.
Shoppers are opting for “grazing rather than cooking,” the research firm found. Sales of dips surged by 23.3 per cent in the period, with coleslaw close behind on 23.1 per cent growth.
Chilled quiches rose by 15.8 per cent, while sales of chilled finger foods and chilled olives surged by 15.2 and 13.3 per cent.
Sally Ball, Worldpanel’s business unit director, said: “The continued heat across the UK has certainly impacted the way people are eating and drinking.
“Earlier this summer we saw that mealtimes were being pushed later in the day, with 13 per cent of evening meals now eaten after 8pm.”
Co-op sees quiche rush
Supermarkets have rushed to appeal to shoppers’ hunger for “picky bits”. Aldi has relaunched its loaded dips range – including chicken caesar and Indian yoghurt – while Tesco announced its “largest ever” revamp of its Finest deli range.
A spokesperson for Co-op said it has seen demand for “picky bits” drive an 18 per cent increase in sales of chilled prepared food. Quiche sales at the retailer jumped by 35 per cent, they said.
“Our 3-for-2 promotion on picnic lines has also delivered stronger sales and redemption rates compared to 2025, underlining customers’ appetite for convenience and value this summer,” they added.
Worldpanel also found that the boiling heat is causing shoppers to make a record number of trips to the supermarket, as shoppers top up on picnic items and cooling drinks.
Brits made 497m trips to grocers in July, the highest figure recorded since March 2020, the research firm found.
Record temperatures are shrinking the size of Brits’ shopping lists. The average shopper spent £410 on groceries in the four weeks to August 9, £14.24 less than the month before.
Take-home sales growth at UK grocers slowed to 2.5 per cent in August, down from 3.3 per cent the month before.
Food inflation slows
Grocery price inflation has slowed sharply this summer to 2.1 per cent – the lowest rate since October 2024.
This comes despite industry warnings that the soaring supply chain and energy costs caused by the Iran war could push up costs for British shoppers.
Worldpanel’s researchers suggested that supermarkets are putting on extra promotions to keep prices down. A third (31.3 per cent) of grocery sales in the last month included a deal, their analysis found.
“With inflation slowing again, this marks the fifth consecutive month of easing prices.
“Shoppers are feeling the relief with 39 per cent now feeling financially comfortable, marking the highest level of financial confidence since November 2021,” Ball said.