Financial News

It may be a bear market for brollies but it is a boom time for bikinis as Britons adapt to the hot weather.

Sunny days are buoying sales at pub groups with beer gardens as Greene King (LSE: GNK.L - news) showed on Thursday, and analysts expect similar effects for soft drinks makers.

Meanwhile, sales of white goods are falling as customers prefer to sit in the sun rather than buy a new washing machine. Large companies reliant on people staying indoors are also on the defensive, with pizza delivery groups prepared for a dip in trade as Britons trek off to buy barbecues.

But the weather is also affecting Britain's smaller businesses from swimwear to umbrellas.

Brian Hart, UK director of Salinas, the Brazilian bikini brand, said: "We've seen a big surge in sales over the past few weeks with the better weather, whereas last year when we had disastrous weather, we also had a disastrous year."

Beachbound shoppers are spending £50 to £120 ($82 to $197) to snap up high-end bikinis, pushing Salinas sales up 50 per cent this year, both at Mr Hart's website and among his retail consumers, from Selfridgesto Asos.

But the sunshine is not all good news. "It's a bit of a nightmare," said Phil Page, managing director of ibrolly.com. "With the weather like it is now, the last thing on people's mind is golf umbrellas for the rain, so it does drop off. Our inquiries are down by at least 70 per cent."

The monthly container he receives from his joint venture suppliers in Asia are ordinarily filled with about 10,000 umbrellas, but are now being sent half-empty.

But there is a silver lining for ibrolly - inquiries for parasols have surged four-fold this year.