How Weather Affects Sales

Spring has sprung and warm weather has come with it. Have you ever thought about how the weather affects your sales? Keep reading for insight on how the biggest force of nature affects your business.

Bad Weather Means Bad Business

Did you know that customers are three times more likely to complain on a rainy day? Additionally, the weather only has a 15% chance of being the same as the year prior – so it’s difficult to plan precisely.

So what does this mean? When it comes to staffing employees, think of where and when you need help. Foot traffic increases in brick-and-mortar stores during warm weather, so that’s where your staff should be. On the flip side, colder weather means more online sales. This means shipping costs increase and you’ll need employees to fulfill those orders.

Unfortunately, sales will never even out over time, just like the temperature changes year round. That’s why it’s important to have strategies in accordance with the shopping patterns of customers, while also remaining flexible enough to adjust to the weather.

Inspiration for this post came from “Weathering the Weather” published by Jacob Curtis, CPA in the February 2022 issue of American Quilt Retailer.

Next AQR Academy

Before we go, we want to remind you of the next AQR Academy workshop on April 12, 2022 from 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. CST. The theme is “Jazz Up Your Fabric Displays” where we’ll cover how to get more product noticed and entice customers to spend more time shopping! Register now and you will also receive a copy of Visual Merchandising 101: Making the Most of Your Store to download instantly.


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