Summer is here, and it will be providing an opportunity to increase sales for the coming months. The starting point to boosting summer profits is focusing your range and getting in seasonal lines that could fly off the shelves.
The first thing to take into account is the volatility of the British summer, and how that can affect what sells and what doesn’t. “We check the news and have all the weather apps on our phones, because you just never know when a heatwave is coming, or a random rainfall will happen,” explains Nishi Patel, owner of two Londis stores in Kent. “This helps us prepare.”
Knowing when the weather is likely to change will help you know what to stock up on. For instance, if it’s going to be a sunny weekend having barbecue lines in stock makes sense. In summer it’s important to be reactive. Know what sells well when the sun’s out and what flies off the shelves when the skies turn grey. Doing so can make sure you keep availability on crucial lines without over stocking and losing stock to wastage.
What is the top selling frozen line in convenience stores?
In the latest edition of What to Stock, Better Retailing’s sister title which analyses sales data across 32 core convenience core categories, ice is the top selling frozen line in convenience stores.
The Ice Co Party Ice 2.27kg earnt stores average weekly profit of £2.96 per week, selling 3.68 units per store per week on average. Ice’s popularity is only going to increase as temperatures creep up, so make sure you have an option stocked in your freezers.
What are the bestselling ice creams in convenience stores?
Outside of ice, it makes sense to have a strong ice cream range. Covering both take-home and on-the-go options can help boost summer profits in your store.
In general, on-the-go options in the form of ice cream singles are bringing retailers higher average weekly sales and profit than take home options – whether multipacks or tubs. Remember when looking at the figures below that average rate of sale and average weekly profit are based on a year-round average. Sales of many of these lines will increase in the summer months.
Top five bestselling ice cream singles by national sales value in independent convenience stores
| Product | Average rate of sale per store per week | Average weekly profit per store |
| Magnum Classic 110ml | 2.12 | £1.46 |
| Magnum White 110ml | 1.53 | £1.05 |
| Calippo Orange 105ml | 2.03 | £1.51 |
| Oreo Ice Cream Sandwich 135ml | 2.03 | £1.63 |
| Cadbury Flake 99 Chocolate 125ml | 1.55 | 88p |
Top four bestselling take home ice cream tubs and multipacks
| Product | Average rate of sale per store per week | Average weekly profit per store |
| Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough 465ml | 0.9 | 86p |
| Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie 465ml | 0.64 | 53p |
| Classic Vanilla Ice Cream 900ml | 1 | £1 |
| Magnum Classic 100ml 3pk | 0.73 | £1.27 |
Look local for a barbecue range to boost summer profits
If you’re looking to build a barbecue range, working with local suppliers could give you a point of difference, and a flexible relationship. Goran Raven, Raven’s Budgens in Abridge Essex, has done this.
“We work with our local butcher to produce a range of meats that can go on the barbecue and it’s given us a strong point of difference,” Raven reveals.
Raven stocks everything from chicken to chorizo pork sausages, and sells them at a £5.99 RRP or two-for-£10. Raven orders around £5,000-worth of stock each week, which is delivered three times a week. It means that in the event of a sudden heatwave, Raven is already prepared.
“Customers come in for this range, but then they also buy beer, ice and snacks,” he adds.
In the event of sudden rainfall, the range is flexible and suitable for airfryers. “The products are sent to us in metal trays, which was part of our planning,” he says.
“The butcher came up with a simple idea to add a sticker on the box stating it’s safe for an airfryer or oven. It’s so simple, but for 1,000 stickers, it costs less than 1p, so it’s a no-brainer.
How to stock the right range of barbecue accessories
Many retailers have branched into stocking barbecue accessories during the summer. Raven says it important to remember that few shoppers will come to your store specifically to buy barbecue accessories such as tongs, charcoal, firelighters or paper plates and cutlery. They’re more likely to an add on purchase when they come to pick up something else.
“Shoppers never come in to buy firelighters or tongs, but in addition to our meat range. We have 120 lines that are just for the barbecue season, and we push it specifically in summer. The accessories are an added spend for us,” Raven says.
Raven also stocks three types of potato dishes and says initial stock sold in 30 minutes. This year, he plans to increase his range.
What products can retailers stock apart from food and drink to boost summer profits?
Stores in seaside towns know all about shopper missions for summer. While some of those lessons might not be relevant for every store, there are insights that are worth taking.
For instance, while beach products might not work in urban and rural stores, kids toys can prove profitable.
“We’ve found a nearby wholesaler called Cut Price Wholesaler, which does all the barbecue accessories, and also offers us toys, so we’re jumping on that to help parents navigate summer. Cut Price Wholesaler also delivers,” says Nishi Patel.
Summer soft drinks trends worth paying attention to
Milkshake, slush and Tango Ice Blast sales will likely increase with the temperatures. Some retailers even take the decision to put these machines away during winter and bring them out again in summer. Meten Lakhani, for instance, from St Mary’s Supermarket in Southampton, puts his store’s milkshake machine into storage in September and brings it out again to the shop floor in April each year.
He also stresses it’s worth keeping an eye on new flavours for these machines, adjusting you’re offer each summer to incorporate tried and tested classics alongside new trends.
“We’d like to introduce more flavours, but our current machine only has the capacity for three flavours,” says Lakhani, about his store’s milkshake machine from Blue Ice. We used to have a chocolate flavour before switching to Oreo after another shop said biscuits were a popular choice.”
Meanwhile, Lakhani has also found new product launches in his soft drinks chiller also bring extra profit. “We stock four flavours of the Mas+ by Messi Energy drinks and most of them are popular,” he says. “We sell them at £2 each and they offer 35% margin. We’re getting around £300 in sales every week, which for a single line is quite good. We got them from Booker.”
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