M&S Bets on Fridges Built for 45°C as Heat Becomes Permanent Business Risk

Marks & Spencer announced 7 July that it is deploying refrigeration units engineered to function in ambient store temperatures up to 45°C, with doors designed to retain cool air in warm conditions. CEO Stuart Machin told shareholders the investment reflects an expectation that extreme heat will recur—not an anomaly. A recent nine-day heatwave forced emergency ice-cream restocks after six product lines sold out. Sainsbury's disclosed parallel hundreds-of-millions investment in refrigeration upgrades, signaling sector-wide shift in engineering standards for UK grocery retailers adapting to structural climate risk.