The sun is out, the sky is blue: how were your bank holiday sales?

Yesterday was the hottest early May bank holiday Monday since the day off was inaugurated in 1978 forty years ago. And it looks like a number of online merchants and marketplaces sellers are concerned about their bank holiday sales. Quite a few on various Facebook groups are reporting it has been a slow weekend for them.

Here are some merchant comments plucked from forum discussions:

Tamebay’s best guess is that the fine weather has dampened online sales. Even with the advent of smartphones, a sunny day is a sunny day, and it’s been a long cold lonely winter in the UK. You may still have access to the internet but you’re not likely to be using it to shop with any real purpose whilst frolicking in the sea, chucking another banger on the barbie or enjoying your precious leisure time.

It would just seem people were more concerned with cold beer, BBQs, the beach and enjoying themselves in general. And that’s no bad thing, after all.

Don’t forget that during a day that there are little peaks of commerce activity. The hours of the commuter time are crucial as people shop as they travel. Evening telly watching viewers are vital shoppers: double screening. One eye on the box and another on a phone or tablet browsing and buying. And people will shop while at work too. Over this pleasant weekend, less of that will have been happening.

And yet whilst no merchant likes to lose vital turnover, you can’t fight the weather. So take heart that the cloudless sky has a silver lining. With fewer sales to despatch, you can work quickly on Tuesday and then knock off early and get out there yourself to enjoy what looks like being a very clement few more days in most of the country.