Write Lightning is a blog from writer Deb Thompson.
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Thu, Oct 11 2007
September warm? No surprise in California
I never even thought about a warm September negatively affecting retail sales. But I suppose it makes sense to the people who live in parts of the U.S. that have four distinct seasons and who experience a wide swing of temperatures. It's hard to go shopping for knit scarves and wool coats when it suddenly feels more like a day to run around in shorts and flip-flops.
Actually, those of us in California have a lot of traditional department store habits thrust upon us in order to appease customers in colder regions of the country. The JC Penney winter catalog comes out in the summer and tries to tempt us with parkas and toasty turtlenecks. Those make sense if you plan to go skiing in the high country, but for most of us, such garments end up being overkill except for one or two days a year. It's easier for us to dress in layers.
I've learned to buy fans at odd times in order to have them ready for those mild winter days we're apt to have between nippy spells with cold rain. Some local merchants understand the whole California climate thing and do prepare for it with extras. Others still insist on putting the table umbrellas and grills on closeout at the end of August and they miss out on all those folks who would run out and buy a new grill so they could bask in the thought of grilling turkey in late November for all the relatives visiting from back East. If smart retailers study into this someday, they'll find there's a big California market for fans in January and fireplaces in May. It all makes sense if you live in a Mediterranean-style climate.
posted at: 10:15 | category: /Miscellaneous | link to this entry
I never even thought about a warm September negatively affecting retail sales. But I suppose it makes sense to the people who live in parts of the U.S. that have four distinct seasons and who experience a wide swing of temperatures. It's hard to go shopping for knit scarves and wool coats when it suddenly feels more like a day to run around in shorts and flip-flops.
Actually, those of us in California have a lot of traditional department store habits thrust upon us in order to appease customers in colder regions of the country. The JC Penney winter catalog comes out in the summer and tries to tempt us with parkas and toasty turtlenecks. Those make sense if you plan to go skiing in the high country, but for most of us, such garments end up being overkill except for one or two days a year. It's easier for us to dress in layers.
I've learned to buy fans at odd times in order to have them ready for those mild winter days we're apt to have between nippy spells with cold rain. Some local merchants understand the whole California climate thing and do prepare for it with extras. Others still insist on putting the table umbrellas and grills on closeout at the end of August and they miss out on all those folks who would run out and buy a new grill so they could bask in the thought of grilling turkey in late November for all the relatives visiting from back East. If smart retailers study into this someday, they'll find there's a big California market for fans in January and fireplaces in May. It all makes sense if you live in a Mediterranean-style climate.
posted at: 10:15 | category: /Miscellaneous | link to this entry
