The winners and losers from this summer’s heatwave

Some companies say they prospered in the scorching weather – combined with England’s prolonged World Cup run – but others have seen sales and profits wilt under the glare.

Here are some of the winners and losers from the summer:

:: Fashion

Next raised its annual profit expectations after sales were boosted by an “unusually warm summer” while Marks & Spencer cashed in on a trend set by England manager Gareth Southgate as it saw a surge in demand for waistcoats.

But menswear specialists Moss Bros did not benefit, instead issuing a profit warning as it blamed the hot weather for slow summer sales and said the World Cup had resulted in consumers staying away from the shops.

:: Food and drink

Supermarkets were among those to benefit from the heatwave, with industry figures from Kantar Worldpanel showing a half a billion pound boost to grocery sales – £228m more spent on alcohol, £178m on soft drinks and £74m on ice cream.

Morrisons said its second-quarter sales had been lifted by the weather and the World Cup while Sainsbury’s – which also owns general retailer Argos – saw a boost from the demand for paddling pools and summer clothes.

:: Going out

Revolution Bars made a pre-tax loss of £3.6m because it does not have TVs to screen football “nor significant outside areas” for people to enjoy the sun. The heatwave and World Cup was a boon for Greene King, the owner of Old Speckled Hen and Abbot Ale brewer, and Mitchells & Butlers (owner of O’Neills and All Bar One).

Blockbusters movies such as Avengers: Infinity War and Black Panther couldn’t drag people into the cinema. Cineworld, the world’s second-largest cinema chain by screens, said UK and Ireland admissions were down 2.7% to 25.6 million in the first six months of the year.

:: Travel

The “Beast from the East” cold spell and the heatwave proved costly to the AA as pretax profit slumped amid a surge in demand for roadside help.

Fritz Joussen, the chief executive of TUI, was left praying for rain when the company’s earnings declined. “Tourism companies don’t usually like it when it’s hot, and it is hot. People want to go on holiday when it rains.”