It is no secret that as the weather in the UK improves, so does consumers’ appetite for impulse purchases.
Having soldiered through a tough winter, consumers are now looking to have BBQs with their families, purchasing food and alcohol.
This also includes gardening accessories such as lawnmowers, plants, and weed killers.
Non-essential spending has continued to creep up in recent months, and retailers must be prepared with a multi-layered merchandising strategy to maximise impulse sales, writes Rolf Whiteman, Sales Director at Harrison Retail.
The UK saw its warmest April on record in 2025, which fell on the Easter bank holiday weekend, leading to a 6.9% increase in in-store spending after it dropped by 1.9% in March on a year-on-year basis. In tandem with this, consumer card spending also grew by 4.5% over the same period last year, the biggest rise since June 2023, whilst non-essential spending rose by 5.1% last month, its highest rate in almost two years.
With the UK set to experience an increased chance of heatwaves in a hotter-than-normal summer season, retailers must be prepared for a further influx of impulse sales by having the correct merchandising displays in place to capitalise on impulse purchase sales.
The influence of impulse purchases
Impulse purchasing is when a consumer experiences a sudden, often powerful and persistent urge to buy something immediately, making up a staggering 27-62% of total buying in-store.
However, the factors that drive an individual to make a purchase they had not initially intended are largely out of retailers’ control. However, store layout, atmosphere, and promotional displays can influence buying behaviour. Consumers are more likely to purchase a product on impulse if it makes it clear to them what the product is and, more importantly, how much it costs. Shelf and display organisation is key.
Integrating Impulse solutions in-store
The summer season is fast approaching, and the much-improved weather in the UK will lead to an increase in impulse buying. Retailers must prepare for the increased footfall and have the correct merchandising displays and impulse solutions to ensure they capitalise on impulse purchase sales.
One of the most effective and inexpensive promotional display tactics often deployed by retailers is strategic cross-merchandising. This involves grouping products that complement each other, encouraging customers to make additional purchases by offering multiplier offers, such as buy one, get one free.
Retailers should consider implementing seasonal displays featuring product bundles and limited-time offers to leverage consumer psychology and drive sales. Examples include bundling BBQ meats, alcohol and soft drinks and bundle deals on compost and plants for gardens. These displays should be situated as customers walk into the store. Often, consumers come into stores looking for one thing during hot weather and will benefit from a more seamless and simplified experience, locating all the products needed without any hassle.
The influence of dump bins and clip strips
With cross-merchandising setting the scene, retailers can also utilise floor-standing dump bins and clip strips to encourage impulse purchases. Floor-standing dump bins can be strategically positioned in high-traffic areas, such as at the end of aisles or near check-out, to capture customers’ attention, raise awareness of special offers and drive impulse sales by increasing product visibility.
Bins are made of durable metal and can store any small loose items, serving as an effective secondary display to supplement wider merchandising strategies. A perfect example of a product for dump bins would be miniature toiletries that consumers purchase when going on holiday. For larger items, free-standing display baskets and tables are an ideal semi-permanent merchandising solution for neatly displaying products.
Clip strips are perfect for impulse buying as they are ideal for hanging products at the customer’s eye line. They can be used to hang snacks/sweets, gift cards and lightweight packets from retail shelves at the end of an aisle or near till areas.
Peak summertime is coming
Planning is vital. To maintain attractive and well-stocked shelves, prioritising inventory management is paramount in sustaining successful impulse sales. Stock must be adjusted to buying patterns, with the correct seasonal products available to enable retailers to meet impulsive buying patterns.
The UK is set for its next mini heatwave in June, and as April has demonstrated, in-store spending is expected to take a turn for the better. Retailers must prepare to make the most of the increased footfall by planning a multi-layered merchandising strategy to align with seasonal demand. They can sustain impulse and promotional sales across the summer peak by weaving in effective inventory management and ensuring on-demand products are well stocked.
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