Halfords deicer sales up 163%

Winter has arrived almost 4 weeks early, according to car accessories and car maintenance retailer Halfords.

Sales of deicer have gone up by 163%, compared to the same time last year, as consumers flock to stock up on winter chemicals following the recent cold snap.

Scrapers are also booming in popularity, with Halfords reporting a 90% increase in sales. Antifreeze is up 53% and screenwash up by 29%.

The arrival of Siberian Bewick swans in Gloucestershire, which annually migrate from Russia to the UK, have landed in the UK two weeks earlier than last year, adding weight to claims that winter is now just around the corner.

The surge in sales of winter chemicals is expected to continue for the next few days, with snow having already fallen in Scotland and the Met Office predicting frosty mornings for the week ahead.

“The first frosts have arrived 3 to 4 weeks earlier than we would normally expect, which in turn means Halfords is selling a much larger volume of winter chemicals and accessories than the same time last year,” said Mark Dolphin, Halfords Winter Motoring Expert.

“We’ve worked hard throughout the summer to build our reserves of winter chemicals and accessories to help the nation’s motorists through the cold spell. Now that the first winter freeze has started to bite, motorists are advised to stock up, not freeze up!”

Last year Halfords sold enough screenwash to fill 3.6 Olympic swimming pools and in the first week of January, customers purchased the equivalent of 44 trucks of screenwash. This year, the retailer has worked through the summer to ensure that ample supplies are in place.

The colder weather last year also encouraged more people to use Halfords’ WeFit service, which saw a 75% increase in fittings of batteries, bulbs and blades.