Seeking cold comfort

TABLE salt, thermal underwear and hot water bottles are flying off supermarket shelves as forecasters warn the harshest winter weather for 30 years will last for another 10 days.

Figures from Tesco show table salt sales are up 90% this week when compared to the start of December with the supermarket chain selling 74 tonnes of salt over the last four weeks.

As shoppers adjust to freezing temperatures, demand for hot water bottles has increased by 20% while thermal underwear sales are up 17%. Sales of firelogs and firelighters are also up 150%.

Compared with the start of December, sales of hats, scarves and gloves are up 70%.

A spokesman for Tesco said: “I think people are aware that it is cold out there and they are shopping accordingly. It’s not panic buying, it’s just customers are being sensible.” The supermarket also said demand for oriental ready meals increased by 25% during the past two weeks, which it said may indicate that people are not venturing for takeaways at night.

Chief executive of Retail Excellence Ireland David Fitzsimons said there has been a big increase in electric blankets and winter clothes.

“People are necessity buying, it’s cold out there,” he said.

In Britain, supermarkets have reported a surge in sales of cat litter, with people using it as an alternative to salt for clearing roads. In Sainsbury’s flask and travel mug sales are up by more than 160% on this time last year. Hotpots and casserole sales are up by 20%, cat litter by 20% and oat cereals by 50%.

Tesco said sales of soup are up 60% in Britain and it is hoping to sell at least 500,000 litres this week, which is the equivalent of two full Olympic-size swimming pools.