Steamy, hot weather to drive seasonal-goods sales

Retailers in the Eastern part of the United States can expect above-normal temperatures to continue to drive sales of seasonal goods, according to Planalytics, which provides business weather intelligence.

The company advises retailers to position inventory levels appropriately, with strong demand expected for air conditioners, fans and other cooling products, bottled water, sports drinks, suncare, and other essential items for protecting people and animals. Seasonal products such as tees, sandals, swimwear, shorts, and water toys will also be in high demand in the East.

During the next two weeks, the Northeast is expected to experience above-normal temperatures, Planalytics said, and the heat will stretch to the Midwest, and temperatures in the Southern tier are likely to reach 100 degrees with higher heat .

Here is how sales of weather-driven goods are expected to stack up for July 2010 compared with last July, when many areas of the Northeast experienced below-normal temperatures:

Air Conditioners…………... +41%

Sleeveless Tops…………….+29%

Sandals ............................ +20%

Swimwear......................... +13%

Sports Drinks……….............+12%

Automotive Batteries........... +7%

In the West, temperatures will average near normal over the rest of the month, providing a colder comparison to July 2009.