RETAIL WEATHER ROUNDUP FOR LAST WEEK & 4-WEEK OUTLOOK

It was very likely the peak sales week for many Spring season categories to date as a record breaking heat-wave swept across the country with 97% of the U.S. experiencing well above average temperatures and 68% with below average precipitation.  Snowfall was also below average with 57% less than last year for the nation as a whole. 

The heat-wave started in California early in the week with temperatures exceeding the century mark while the East was quite cold. But that changed by the weekend (April 24^th – 26^th) as record heat and 90F+ temperatures moved into the Northeast for the warmest last weekend of April in at least 20 years.  All told there were 907 record high temperatures set or tied during the week across the U.S. bringing exceptional demand for seasonal categories.

Categories that benefited from the fantastic weather would include garden items, pest control, deck stains, outdoor patio furniture, suncare, car cleaning/waxes, fishing equipment, golf accessories, ice cream snacks, cold beverages and allergy medications.  On Sunday, April 26^th temperatures in the Northeast were 23°F warmer than last year with temperatures in the Upper 80s and low 90s driving exceptional sales gains for all but the West Coast which turned cooler (coolest in 6 years late in the week). 

Every 1°F change toward warmer year-over-year temperatures can drive 1.2% more beer or beverage sales, 2% more short sales, 10% more fan sales and 11% more sun care sales.  As a result of the +23F hotter weather, many seasonal items had double, even triple digits sales gains for a strong finish to the retail calendar April this week!  Retail sales will likely trend higher than expected when results are announced on Thursday May 7^th by the International Council of Shopping Centers.

The outlook for the next 28 days (See National Chart in Picture Gallery below) shows a continuation of generally favorable weather, especially around the upcoming holidays of Mother’s Day and Memorial Day.  While temperatures remain mild, the only dampening factor is likely to be a wetter and more severe weather pattern.  Beyond May there is high risk for excess Summer inventories with a cooler and wetter pattern likely to set up!

PRESS CONTACT:

Bill Kirk, CEO Weather Trends International

(O) 610-807-3585 (C) 484-903-6887

bkirk@wxtrends.com

About Weather Trends International:  The global leader of actionable year-ahead business weather guidance for retailers, manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, agricultural firms, financial analysts and the movie industry.  Clients include some of the world’s most respected and successful companies like Wal-Mart, ASDA, Target, Kohl’s, Bon-Ton, Sherwin-Williams, REI, TownShoes, AutoZone, Anheuser-Busch, Johnson & Johnson, 3M, JP Morgan, Agway, The State Theatre and over a hundred others.  Its business centric weather solutions and understanding of how consumers respond to the weather is used throughout organizations to help "manage the weather risk”.  Utilizing technology first developed in the early 1990s, Weather Trends International’s unique statistical math based trade secret formula forecasting methodology projects temperature, precipitation and snowfall trends by day and week a year-ahead for 20,000 locations across the globe with an industry leading 80%+ accuracy.  Offices in New York, NY, Bethlehem, PA, and Bentonville, AR.  Visit http://www.wxtrends.com/ or http://www.myskeye.com/ for more information.