Retailers should be getting their coats, gloves and cozy socks up front and center, as customers will likely be looking for some warmth next week, suggests a new forecast from Planalytics.
On the heels of a cold Black Friday weekend in the East, most consumers in North America are about to get a taste of winter, propelling demand for outerwear, gloves, hats, sweaters, heaters, and blankets, says the weather planning firm. As we move through next week (December 5 – 11), a blast of cold air will move from the West Coast and cross North America, reaching the major cities of the East Coast by the weekend. For many markets, temperatures will be below normal and below the freezing point as well.
“Weather-driven demand for cold weather apparel and consumables will surge compared to normal as well as in comparison to last year,” said Planalytics. As a reminder, December 2015 was the warmest in more than 120 years. Planalytics estimates that the colder conditions will lift apparel store sales by $107 million next week vs. the prior year.
Snowfall will threaten many markets next week, particularly in Canada and throughout the Northern Tier of the U.S. The threat of snowfall will drive demand for snow throwers, ice melt, shovels, firewood, and warm foods.
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