During the heatwave that hit Germany at the end of June, consumers purchased significantly more bottled water than usual. According to data released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Tuesday, in the last week of June, sales of still water increased by 77%, while sparkling water rose by 63% compared to the average summer week of 2023 through 2025.
The extreme temperatures, which reached around 40 degrees Celsius that week, led to record demand across multiple categories. Specifically, the retail sale of ice cream increased by 90% compared to the average summer week over those three years. Both the surge in water and ice cream consumption marked the highest sales volumes measured since the beginning of the study period in early 2023.
Beyond water and ice cream, other beverages also saw record sales since early 2023. The purchase of mixed beer drinks was 63% higher than the average summer week between 2023 and 2025. Additionally, non-alcoholic beer sales climbed by 38%, and lemonade sales were 34% higher. Even Cola sales increased by 32% in major supermarket chains, though they did not reach peak levels.
