Disappointed sunbathers are turning to tans from a bottle as bad summer weather hits sunscreen sales and pushes sales of artificial tanning preparations through the roof.
Sales of artificial tanning products are up about 91 percent from a year earlier, while sunscreen sales are down about 17 percent, according to research agency Nielsen, while sun and sunburn remedies decreased 20 percent.
"The weather has had a direct impact on the sale of these products," Katherine Rich, chief executive of the New Zealand Food and Grocery Council told BusinessDesk.
"People just aren't getting sunburnt so they don't need the extra sun treatment."
She said the weather had driven down unit sales and value of sunscreen preparations and sunburn remedies so far this summer.
"I think everybody, retailers and consumers are disappointed its' been a poor summer," said Mrs Rich.
Rainfall in the North Island and the northern parts of the South Island was more than 50 percent above the December average, the NIWA National Climate Centre said.
NZN