Waitrose Turns to ‘Mediterranean-Style’ Fridges as UK Summers Heat Up

Waitrose is developing refrigeration technology capable of operating in temperatures of up to 48°C as increasingly intense summer heat places greater pressure on supermarket infrastructure.

The John Lewis Partnership-owned grocer is preparing its stores for a hotter climate with advanced systems combining heat-pump technology and refrigeration to keep chilled products at the correct temperature during periods of extreme heat.

While development of the new equipment continues, Waitrose is already installing upgraded fridges across its store estate. The investment is intended to protect product freshness, improve store reliability and increase energy efficiency as high summer temperatures become more common.

Waitrose retail director Tina Mitchell said: “This summer shows our latest refrigeration technology is more resilient than older equipment, and we’re continuing to accelerate investment across our estate.”

The plans build on a wider programme to modernise the retailer’s refrigeration infrastructure. According to the John Lewis Partnership’s latest annual report, 28 Waitrose stores received complete refrigeration replacements during the 2025/26 financial year.

The replacement systems use water-cooled technology with a lower global-warming potential. Heat-pump technology had also been installed at 69 Waitrose shops by the end of the financial year.

The move reflects the growing operational challenge posed by extreme temperatures, with refrigeration essential to maintaining the quality, freshness and availability of chilled food — including many fresh produce lines.

Waitrose is not alone in adapting its stores. Marks & Spencer is investing in refrigeration designed to work in temperatures as high as 45°C after chief executive Stuart Machin acknowledged that its stores had struggled during nine days of extreme heat in June.

Sainsbury’s is also set to upgrade refrigeration equipment at around 100 stores as part of a broader investment programme worth hundreds of millions of pounds.

As heatwaves become a more persistent feature of British summers, climate-resilient refrigeration is rapidly shifting from a future consideration to a vital part of keeping the nation’s food retail network running.