Winter is over

A couple of items seem strangely out of place in Target’s promotional mix this week, as the company featured a range of spring-time products such as patio sets, barbeque grills, family camping gear and water sports products. Alongside those familiar seasonal items was a 41,000 BTU outdoor patio heater capable of warming people within a 15 to 20 foot radius and a $99 outdoor fireplace. Granted, Target is based in Minneapolis where nighttime lows are still in the 40s, but temperatures in southern states where Target operates large numbers of stores are substantially warmer. And with day time highs already well into the 80s in many locations outdoor heating seems an odd category to be promoting with June only a few weeks off.