{
  "id": 784302,
  "title": "‘Colander sales jumped nearly 40%’: How Britons viewed the solar eclipse",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/colander-sales-jumped-nearly-40-how-britons-viewed-the-solar-eclipse",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-13T16:20:25.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Science",
    "slug": "guardian-science",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/aug/13/how-britons-viewed-the-solar-eclipse"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "As Britons watched the historic solar eclipse, safety was a priority. Long queues formed for protective eyewear, but once sold out, another item gained popularity - colanders. Sales of kitchen colanders surged nearly 40% at major retailers like John Lewis, Tesco, and others. Rental bikes were abandoned en masse at popular viewing locations. Concerns arose about littering and potential eye damage, with the Royal College of Ophthalmologists urging eye protection. Despite these issues, the eclipse was deemed safe for most viewers, with only a few visits to hospitals reported for eclipse-related issues.",
  "summary": "Safety advice was followed by almost all the public but the historic event left behind huge quantities of litter and abandoned Lime bikes It started with the glasses, as people desperate to see the most complete eclipse in decades formed long queues for the proper protective eyewear . Then, when they sold out almost everywhere, they came for the colanders. Sales of the kitchen staple, which could…",
  "key_points": [
    "Colander sales jumped nearly 40% during the solar eclipse.",
    "Long queues formed for protective eyewear at major retailers.",
    "Royal College of Ophthalmologists emphasized eye protection."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}