canary islands heatwave shopping habits

How heatwaves are changing what Canary Islanders buy

Heatwaves and rising temperatures are not only disrupting daily routines in the Canary Islands, but also changing what goes into people’s shopping baskets, and to a greater extent than in previous summers. Water, ice cream and other cooling products are gaining prominence in supermarkets during intense heat episodes, while hearty ‘spoon foods’ such as pulses, stews and casseroles, associated with more elaborate cooking, are losing ground.

The numbers behind the shift

A study by consultancy firm Circana reveals that during heatwaves, sales of pulses drop by around 19 per cent compared to the same period the previous year. At the same time, demand for water increases by 8.6 per cent, ice cream by 10.9 per cent, soft drinks by 6.4 per cent and chilled salads by nearly 10 per cent. Other staples of traditional cooking are also retreating: rice sales are down 7 per cent and pasta down 5.6 per cent, reflecting a clear shift in consumption habits towards lighter, quicker-to-prepare options. While this pattern is typical in summer, it has become more pronounced with the extreme temperatures of recent weeks.

Confirmed by the industry

Alonso Fernández, secretary general and principal institutional spokesperson for the Association of Supermarkets of the Canary Islands (Asuican), explains that rather than being a recent trend, this is “a phenomenon that has already been studied” and which clearly alters shopping habits when temperatures soar. “The fresh produce section, basically vegetables and fruit, as well as ice creams, beers and soft drinks, increases significantly at this time of year,” he notes. In contrast, foods associated with heartier cooking lose their appeal. “Spoon foods and certain cuts of meat intended for stews or casseroles clearly decline. These are foods we associate with cooler weather,” adds the Asuican representative, who also observes that during the summer, sauce consumption drops while demand for ready-prepared products rises, as households cook less.

No supply concerns

Despite the sharp increase in demand for certain products, Asuican’s director general insists that supermarkets have not had to make extraordinary efforts to guarantee the supply of water, ice or drinks. The reason is that the sector knows this seasonal behaviour inside out and plans its orders well in advance. “It is very usual because it happens every year. The only thing that can vary is when this period begins, depending on how temperatures evolve, but stores already know that consumption will change and they stock up on those products with sufficient foresight,” he explains. For this reason, he maintains that consumers should not face difficulties in finding these items during the summer, even at peak demand.

Same story across the country

Fernández also sees no significant differences between the behaviour of consumers in the Canary Islands and those on the Spanish mainland. Although high temperatures may arrive earlier in the archipelago or last longer, the effect on the shopping basket is practically identical. “The date or seasonality varies due to climatic reasons, but when the effect occurs, the behaviour is practically the same here as on the mainland,” he points out. In his view, this similarity is also linked to the important role tourism plays in the islands’ consumption. “We also have a very significant component of people coming from outside, so the trends are almost identical,” he states.

Spending redistribution, not an increase

The Circana study concludes precisely that heatwaves do not so much trigger an increase in overall spending as a redistribution of the shopping basket. Consumers temporarily replace products linked to elaborate cooking with fresh foods, drinks and ready-to-eat options – a shift that, as the distribution sector confirms, repeats summer after summer in the Canary Islands. And this year, of course, more so than ever.

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