The heatwaves in May and June led to a boost for convenience retailers across the UK, according to research from insight agency Talysis.

Convenience store sales experienced a £30 million increase during May and a boost in June, which was due to the rising temperatures.

In particular, the soft drinks category experienced a surge, with sales reaching £105 million during the bank holiday week ending on 31 May and going up to £114 million in the week ending 27 June.

Additionally, sales grew across all of the subcategories of soft drinks, including water, carbonates, energy, juice and smoothies.

Talysis managing director Ed Roberts said: “The great British summer this year presents a major and much-needed opportunity for the UK’s independent convenience sector.

Subscribe to Grocery Gazette for free

Sign up here to get the latest grocery and food news each morning

“As our insights have shown, hotter weather, either a heatwave or simply ‘above average’ temperatures, delivers significant sales increases in the channel. Coupled with the World Cup, Wimbledon and other high-profile sporting events, it’s exactly what the sector needs.”

The ice cream category also reached £14.8 million in sales in the week ending 31 May and increased to £18.2 million last week, which marks a record-breaking performance. Sales of ice cream went up by 56 per cent year-on-year.

A further uplift is expected as the temperatures continue to rise across the UK this summer.

Roberts added: “Although the latest heatwave is now over, there’s another one predicted soon. Retailers need to grab every opportunity they can to demonstrate their convenience now so that shoppers remember them during the tougher months.

“Stock up on the key categories to maximise availability, make sure relevant SKUs are chilled, and communicate effectively to your customers and potential customers.”