DOES WEATHER AFFECT OUR TRADE?

The trouble with retailers, when it comes to poor sales, is that it is never our fault. We blame everything for a poor month except ourselves. Naturally weather is a top thing to point the finger at.

Now, I appreciate that if you sell umbrellas and it doesn’t rain for 3 months that may affect your trade. On the other hand, if you sell umbrellas and it rains for 3 months and you still struggle, then you blame the government, the economy and, of course, it was the wrong type of rain. As I say, we never blame ourselves.

I know from our staff feedback over several years that a poor day can be attributed to the following weather conditions:

a) It was just too hot for people to shop
b) It was just too cold for people to shop
c) It rained all day, so no one bothered coming out
d) It didn’t rain all day, so everyone stayed at home in the garden
e) It was just grey and miserable, as were the customers
f) It snowed
g) There was a tornado
h) It rained poisonous frogs

I can honestly say, from my experience, that the best type of weather would be mild and slightly unsettled. The weather equivalent of magnolia, perhaps!