As France continues to set heat records, the heatwave episode of July 2026 seems to have shifted spending more than it has restrained overall consumption.
This is revealed by a SumUp analysis, based on transactions recorded from thousands of merchants between June 24 and July 29, 2026, compared with the same period in 2025.
Save for one detail: this year the government exceptionally extended the sales by one week, until July 28, amid a slowdown in foot traffic.
This is revealed by a SumUp analysis, based on transactions recorded from thousands of merchants between June 24 and July 29, 2026, compared with the same period in 2025.
Save for one detail: this year the government exceptionally extended the sales by one week, until July 28, amid a slowdown in foot traffic.
Un recul de l’activité au plus fort des températures
The SumUp data reveal a slowdown in activity during the heart of the heatwave period. Between July 15 and July 22, 2026, average activity per merchant fell by 8.1% compared with the previous week.
This represented the only weekly decline recorded across the entire study period.
A comparable trend had already been observed the previous summer: between July 15 and 22, 2025, activity per merchant declined by 12.8% in a week.
In 2026, this drop occurred while the year’s second heat wave stretched from July 4 to July 19, i.e., sixteen consecutive days according to Météo-France. In the following week, as temperatures returned to more typical levels, activity began to rise again, increasing by 3.8%.
This represented the only weekly decline recorded across the entire study period.
A comparable trend had already been observed the previous summer: between July 15 and 22, 2025, activity per merchant declined by 12.8% in a week.
In 2026, this drop occurred while the year’s second heat wave stretched from July 4 to July 19, i.e., sixteen consecutive days according to Météo-France. In the following week, as temperatures returned to more typical levels, activity began to rise again, increasing by 3.8%.
L’hôtellerie profite du pic de chaleur
Not all sectors, however, are affected in the same way. The hotel industry emerges as one of the main beneficiaries of this heat period.
Between July 8 and July 15, while France recorded the hottest day of this episode and several particularly hot nights, activity per merchant in hospitality rose by 32.9% compared with the previous week.
Over the entire analyzed period, the sector also shows the strongest year-on-year growth among the activities studied, up by 56.5% relative to the same period in 2025.
These results can be explained in particular by a search for greater thermal comfort or the desire to temporarily leave a dwelling that is difficult to refresh: heat can thus influence consumer trade-offs and support certain types of spending.
Between July 8 and July 15, while France recorded the hottest day of this episode and several particularly hot nights, activity per merchant in hospitality rose by 32.9% compared with the previous week.
Over the entire analyzed period, the sector also shows the strongest year-on-year growth among the activities studied, up by 56.5% relative to the same period in 2025.
These results can be explained in particular by a search for greater thermal comfort or the desire to temporarily leave a dwelling that is difficult to refresh: heat can thus influence consumer trade-offs and support certain types of spending.
La restauration pénalisée en fin de vague
Conversely, the catering/restaurant sector experienced a marked slowdown at the end of the heatwave. Between July 15 and 22, restaurant activity fell by 9% compared with the previous week.
Food trucks also recorded a 12 % decline of -7.5%, after two weeks of strong growth, at +24.2% and +16.8% respectively.
These evolutions reflect a shift in behavior when temperatures stay high for an extended period. Outings and outdoor consumption can be more carefully chosen when weather conditions become challenging, while consumers may favor solutions better suited to heat.
Food trucks also recorded a 12 % decline of -7.5%, after two weeks of strong growth, at +24.2% and +16.8% respectively.
These evolutions reflect a shift in behavior when temperatures stay high for an extended period. Outings and outdoor consumption can be more carefully chosen when weather conditions become challenging, while consumers may favor solutions better suited to heat.
Published by Amelia Brille Rédactrice TourMaG.com See all articles by Amelia Brille
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