Sainsbury’s saw its sales rise as warmer temperatures drove increased consumer demand for summer products.

According to Kantar figures, the supermarket retailer reported a 4.7% increase in sales over a 12-week period to 18 May, fuelled by purchases of summer goods.

Data from The Times also revealed that demand for seasonal staple products, including ice cream, bags of ice, barbecue meat and rosé wine, skyrocketed over the period between 8 and 14 June.

In particular, there was a surge in demand for single-serve lollies, which went up by 90% on a week-on-week basis.

The increased demand also pushed sales upward for Sainsbury’s struggling non-food division Argos, which has been affected by consumers’ slowdown on spending.

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Argos saw searches for cooling products leap by 245% at the start of the week on 9 June, while BBQ gear and ice cream makers were also in high demand.

This reflects the progress of Sainsbury’s chief executive Simon Roberts’ ‘’food first’’ strategy which aims to prioritise investment in its core grocery sector.

The supermarket giant is confident in its performance, with a projected £1bn in underlying retail operating profit for its current fiscal year.

Sainsbury’s is also working on saving £650m within the next two years and achieved £350m in savings last year by trimming down positions in its head office.

The retail giant remains one of the leading grocers in the UK, with a 15.1% share of the UK grocery market, but it has faced mounting pressure during the ongoing price wars.