The Summer Of Big Wins

As we all know, the Great British summertime is about soaking up some rays, then moaning about the sunshine (while shielding under a brolly). We’re getting ready for an amazing summer season at TK Maxx, with a new, immersive in store experience with no shortage of seascapes and surprises. And to get into the summertime spirit, we asked 2,000 Brits whether they think the hottest time of the year lives up to the hype.

And our survey saysss…(drum roll)…

Battle of the seasons

Pack your shades and roll out the beach mat – summer is well and truly here. But before we get too sentimental about sunshine and lollipops, do Brits actually like summer? We wanted to know which season is hands-down the nation’s favourite.

As you can see, those we surveyed showed no sign of the summertime blues. A majority of people across all age groups picked summer as their favourite season, including 58% of men and 53% of women. Meanwhile, winter got a frosty reception; in fact, all age groups chose winter as their least favourite season, peaking among over-60s – 74% of whom gave it the cold shoulder.

What’s so great about summer?

It’s no surprise that grey days and freezing temperatures aren’t winning any popularity contests, but what exactly makes summertime special?

While holidays were the most popular thing about summer, that doesn’t tell the whole story. 62% of women put holidays top, but others had different ideas:

Digging a little deeper, our survey found that people love the sights, sounds and even smells of summer. Almost every UK city we polled had BBQs as the smell they most associate with summer – peaking at 87% in Plymouth. But it appears the grass is greener in Edinburgh, where freshly cut grass ranked first on 72%.

Summer simply puts a spring in our step. In fact, 77% of people we polled said they find it easier to get out of bed in the summertime than the winter.

Our respondents also told us that a ‘day at the beach’ is the ideal summer day out – 65% chose this option, ahead of a picnic in the park (45%) and swimming at a local lido, beach or pond (21%).

Summertime styles vs. the winter wardrobe

Summertime isn’t just about sun, sea and sand – it’s an opportunity to explore new trends and fill your suitcase with maxi dresses and more. But all things considered, do we prefer dressing for hot weather or wrapping up warm on a winter’s day?

Whether you’re into bright and breezy dresses or beach-ready shirts, we’re spoilt for choice these days when it comes to summertime wardrobe options. And judging by our survey, there’s a preference for summer clothing across the board.

  • 73% of men and 64% of women prefer wearing their summer wardrobe

  • Across all ages, a majority prefer their summer wardrobe. This was highest among over 60s (78%)

  • Summer wardrobes were more popular in every region. Sheffield was the most enthusiastic about summer clothes (80%), while Birmingham had the highest rate of people who prefer their winter wardrobe (32%). Brummies, we’re worried: are you okay?

Summer washouts

After all this summer lovin’ (happened so fast), it’s only fair that we look at the other side of the debate. For some, those long days and balmy nights aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be. There’s nothing more quintessentially British than having a good moan, so we uncovered some of the things that Brits love to hate about the summer months.

Let’s face it – no one likes getting bitten by a bug, and unsurprisingly, this was the most common ahem…bugbear… among respondents. In fact, the only age group that had a bigger pet peeve was 18-29-year-olds, 56% of whom said that ‘getting too hot’ was the number one summer downer.

As for solutions to this summertime woe, there was a lot of love for air conditioning – 66% said this helps them feel more comfortable – while 69% said cold ice creams, lollies and drinks offer the best relief in a heatwave.

We all scream for ice cream

We’ve touched on people’s fondness for ice cream in peak summertime, so we wanted the inside scoop on which flavours are in favour.

In earth-shattering news, vanilla was revealed as the most popular ice cream flavour. But wait! There were some interesting differences between the generations, with older people favouring more traditional ice cream flavours, whereas young adults opted for unusual alternatives.

For example, 22% of 16-24-year-olds said chocolate chip cookie dough was their flavour of choice, compared to just 6% of over-55s. On the flipside, 18% of those over 55 were keen on rum ‘n’ raisin, which was only chosen by 3% of the youngest age category. When it comes to ice cream preferences, one size of tub doesn’t fit all.

Summer must-haves

Whether you can’t wait to hit the sun lounger, or you’re longing to hibernate for the winter, we all want to equip ourselves with certain essentials to get through June, July and August. So, when the weather gets warm, what are the items people simply can’t do without?

Sunnies were the clear frontrunner in the essential item stakes, but this was particularly the case for women’s sunglasses – 79% of women said this was their most important summer essential. Once again, young people bucked the trend, as 18-29-year-olds were the only age group who didn’t cite sunglasses; instead, they plumped for water bottle (76%) as their number one item. Eyes are overrated, anyway.

We’re all set for summer. Are you?

We’ve been counting down the days until summertime, and we’re delighted it’s finally here and we can celebrate in style. Ten years ago, Team GB achieved its best ever medal haul at the London 2012 Olympics – quite literally the Summer of Big Wins – and we want to recapture the magical feeling of that splendid summer. Ten years on and the UK is hosting another sporting extravaganza, the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham – could this be another winning summer? It could be for you!

As part of our special summer season at TK Maxx, we’ll bring the sights, sounds and spirit of London 2012 and this year’s Commonwealth Games to stores across the country, with a gold medal treasure hunt and the chance to celebrate your finds on the Big Wins podium! All this, coupled with everyday amazing value on an ever-changing selection of big brands and designer products in store and online – you don’t want to miss out!

Methodology

TK Maxx commissioned a survey of over 2,000 nationally representative respondents in May 2022 to establish attitudes towards British summertime

TK Maxx commissioned an additional survey of over 2,000 nationally representative respondents in June 2022 to establish the nations’ favourite ice cream flavours