Iced Pumpkin Spice Lattes & knitwear sales hit UK highstreet amid shock ‘Indian Summer’ this autumn

As September rolls around and the kids head back to school, parents are usually gearing up for the autumn term with new winter coats and cosy new jumpers. But this year, an unusual picture has been painted as the high street is lined with new autumn/winter fashion ranges but shoppers are still dressed in their summer shorts and light-weight dresses as they walk by.

Unless you have been living under a rock, you will know that an unusual ‘Indian summer’ has struck this September - with temperatures reaching higher than 30 degrees in some places across the UK. However, although it has been a great treat to bask in the sun and get that last dose of vitamin D before the darkness creeps in for the winter, the warm weather may hurt the already-struggling British highstreet.

As I walked down my local high street in a lightweight beach-style co-ord yesterday with my sunglasses balanced on my head, I found the contrast almost amusing as shops show off their new knitwear ranges in their windows. And although the unexpected sunshine has been a pleasant surprise for most, experts at Strutt & Parker say that the warm weather could have a detrimental effect on retail profits, and could even force retailers to start their sales early to get rid of unsold stock.

Strutt & Parker says many fashion firms often introduce next season’s ranges before the season arrives, and an Indian summer running into September could mean they have to discount the already introduced Autumn/Winter ranges to make sure they hit sales targets. When I looked on the House Of Fraser website, I noticed brands including All Saints selling jumpers and knitwear for a fraction of the price - including a £199 sweater down to just £60 and even more staggering, a REDONE cardigan down to £85 from £495.

However, interestingly, coffee shops and food chains appear to be ahead of the game as some the newly launched autumn menus include a new range of frozen drinks and frappes. Popular chains including Greggs and Starbucks have even launched an Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte - which is typically known for marking the start of the cosy season! While Costa adds a Maple Hazel Iced Latte to its menu. I wonder if this could be due to the general rise in popularity of iced drinks, as influencers including Molly-Mae are famously fans of iced coffee, or if they’ve somehow predicted this spike in the warm weather this year.