The sale of fans and rosé wine is skyrocketing. But Swedes also dare to take risks when the temperature rises in the summer.
One doesn't stick to the usual, says Markus Wahlgren, store manager at Stora Coop in Visby.
A typical day, customers' purchasing patterns are predictable. On weekends, a lot of taco products are sold – on weekdays, cheaper meat is sold.
During the summer, taco Fridays disappear and people don't eat sausage stroganoff either. Instead, there's more seafood, fresh produce, and locally produced goods, says Markus Wahlgren at Coop in Visby.
But it's not just about customers wanting to indulge during the summer.
They're a bit happier, more relaxed, and willing to try something new. They try new vegetables and sauces they may have seen on some cooking show. They're also willing to try a new piece of meat to impress at the grill, says Wahlgren.
A lot of rosé
The choice of alcoholic beverages is also affected during the summer months.
It's quite clear. When it's warm, we sell a lot of rosé wine. It's the product that differs the most during the summer compared to the rest of the year, says Marie Hultin, category manager at Systembolaget.
When it gets really warm, light lager beer sells the best.
Hultin also believes that the relaxed atmosphere that sets in during the summer can affect customers' consumer habits.
We can see that the sale of sustainable drinks also increases. It could either be a coincidence or that people have more time to think during the summer.
No fan shortage
The record-breaking warm summer of 2018 has made the retail chain Clas Ohlson think twice.
It was warm all over Europe and everyone wanted to buy fans. When there was such a sudden demand, it was hard to get hold of one. Now we've balanced our purchases better. At present, we have a good supply of fans, says communications manager Niklas Carlsson.
Merchants are becoming more optimistic – but it's mainly due to brighter economic times, according to Svensk Handel.
What we see in our surveys is that things are going in the right direction from low levels of optimism, but it takes several interest rate cuts for them to get back on their feet again, says press secretary Viktor Schmidt.
Among consumers, there's also optimism. During vacation times, people generally spend more money. Then we've also received news that inflation is on its way down. It creates a positive psychological effect that's valuable for merchants this summer.
