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SHOPPING OUTLOOK
As the summer season winds down, the week prior to Labor Day (Aug 26 to Sept. 1) should be a good week for retailers, especially from the Northeast into the Great Plains, where temperatures and precipitation will be warmer and drier than the same week last year. Demand for typical summer holiday weekend categories will be strong, especially beverages, ice cream, picnic supplies, charcoal and premium grilling meats to name a few. This week also will be a great opportunity for retailers to clear out remaining warm season merchandise.
Shoppers along the Gulf Coast from Texas to the Florida Panhandle will be keeping an eye out for a tropical storm or hurricane. Prepositioning of items such as batteries, ice, plastic sheeting and generators should be in place by this time in case a storm does strike. Further inland across the South a cooler and wetter pattern will drive shoppers indoors to shopping centers seeking back-to-school categories.
FORECAST BY RETAIL MARKET| City | AVERAGE (30 YEARS) | LAST YEAR (ACTUAL) | THIS YEAR (FORECAST) | |
| Boston | TEMP | 68° | 64° | 70° |
| PRECIP | 0.77" | 0.65" | 0.71" | |
| New York | TEMP | 72° | 69° | 74° |
| PRECIP | 0.91" | 2.00" | 0.60" | |
| Atlanta | TEMP | 76° | 79° | 75° |
| PRECIP | 0.94" | 4.55" | 0.71" | |
| Orlando | TEMP | 82° | 83° | 82° |
| PRECIP | 1.47" | 2.66" | 1.77" | |
| Dallas | TEMP | 82° | 83° | 79° |
| PRECIP | 0.45" | 0.31" | 0.56" | |
| Chicago | TEMP | 68° | 69° | |
| PRECIP | 69°0.93" | 0.75" | 0.86" | |
| Minneapolis | TEMP | 65° | 69° | 64° |
| PRECIP | 0.76" | 0.45" | 0.80" | |
| Denver | TEMP | 66° | 64° | 68° |
| PRECIP | 0.28" | 0.35" | 0.30" | |
| Phoenix | TEMP | 89° | 93° | 86° |
| PRECIP | 0.21" | 0.45" | 0.27" | |
| Los Angeles | TEMP | 71° | 70° | 71° |
| PRECIP | 0.05" | 0.00" | 0.00" | |
| San Francisco | TEMP | 64° | 62° | 67° |
| PRECIP | 0.01" | 0.00" | 0.00" | |
| Seattle | TEMP | 64° | 68° | 63° |
| PRECIP | 0.30" | 0.01" | 0.23" | |
The following forecasts from Weather Trends International are based on a statistical methodology using 110 years of weather records. Weather Trends forecasts are created 11 months in advance and are intended to identify weather trends. The forecast accuracy averages 75% or better by week and by market. For more information, contact Jack Grum (610) 807-3586 or visit www.wxtrends.com.