British weather drives surges in online spending

• As temperatures soared at the weekend, so too did the number of online shopping transactions related to getting back outdoors, with a 137 percent increase on the average weekend this year.
• Sunny Friday (7th March) saw the largest spike with a 165 percent increase* in sales of home and garden supplies 
• Britain’s biggest storms which hit earlier this winter – Storm Darragh and Storm Eowyn – appeared to have driven a 33 percent and 14 percent spike* in online shopping respectively, as Brits were forced to remain at home
• Brits seemingly fed up with the winter cold by the end of February were driven to book a holiday, with a 37 percent spike* in travel transactions seen on the last day of the month
• The data has been released by leading digital payments company, Checkout.com, which processes billions of transactions for thousands of merchants that shape the digital economy worldwide.

Online retailers enjoyed a 137 percent surge in outdoor-related sales this weekend (8^th and 9^th March 2025⁾, as temperatures soared, compared to the average weekend so far this year according to Checkout.com. This was even up 35 percent from last weekend’s payday weekend, which would normally see the highest peaks in overall spending. The data aligns with a broader trend observed by the brand, where online shopping spikes are being influenced by the British weather.

Compared to an average day in 2025, online sales in home and garden supplies spiked by as much as 165 percent on sunny Friday (7th  March 2025), according to Checkout.com. The uplifts coincided with the sudden rise in temperatures experienced across the nation in recent days.

Not limited to temperature increases, Checkout.com has also experienced surges in transactions across its network as major storms hit the UK this winter. As Storm Darragh made itself known and drove people indoors on December 6^th and 7^th, general online spending rose by 33 percent compared to a typical day. Storm Eowyn appeared to drive a slightly more muted uplift of 14 percent on January 24^th and 25^th.

A further notable spike seen by Checkout.com was the 37 percent uplift in online transactions across its network of travel merchants on February 28^th, which coincided with the end of a long British winter coupled with pay day for many. Seemingly, the cold dark days took their toll and drove the nation to book getaways in their droves.

Checkout.com processes billions of transactions for thousands of companies that shape the digital economy worldwide. Its network of merchants includes some of the nation’s most notable shopping brands, including Sainsbury’s, Uber Eats, eBay and Vinted. The trend data released today shows an aggregated picture of transaction volume by merchant sector.

Checkout.com CMO Rory O’Neill said: “We see a notable correlation between peaks in online transactions and significant weather patterns experienced across the nation. This proves the extent to which the digital economy is intrinsically linked to our daily habits and a reflection of our modern lives. We’re proud to support our network of merchants to serve their customers when they need it most, and concurrently help shape the digital economy.”

*Compared to an average day sales volume

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