Disappointed sunbathers hit the bottle

It's been a cool, cool summer. Photo / Herald on Sunday

Disappointed sunbathers are turning to tans from a bottle as bad summer weather hits sunscreen sales and pushes sales of artificial tanning preparations through the roof.

Sales of artificial tanning products are up about 91 per cent from a year earlier, while sunscreen sales are down about 17 percent, according to research agency Nielsen, while sun and sunburn remedies decreased 20 per cent.

"The weather has had a direct impact on the sale of these products," Katherine Rich, chief executive of the New Zealand Food and Grocery Council told BusinessDesk.

"People just aren't getting sunburnt so they don't need the extra sun treatment."

"There are so many seasonal products which are impacted by the weather. It can be anything from sunglasses, cold drinks to ice blocks," Rich said, quoting supermarket sales for sunscreen and tanning products.

"The figures don't include pharmacy sales but it's a good proxy for the whole market," she said.

Weather had a definite impact on sales of sun screen preparations and after sun/sunburn remedies, down week on week from November 6 to January 1, helping to drive unit and value decline for the quarter.

"I think everybody, retailers and consumers are disappointed its' been a poor summer," said Rich.

Rainfall in the North Island and the northern parts of the South Island was more than 50 per cent above the December average, the NIWA National Climate Centre said.

Higher rainfall, river flows and soil moisture levels are predicted to remain above average for the North Island the Nelson-Marlborough until March.