How winter weather impacts holiday retail sales

Allison Zeller
Holiday Planning Playbook

Find more insights to plan for the holiday season in the retail Holiday Planning Playbook, and see NRF's 2017 holiday forecast.

During the holiday season, weather can influence everything from when, where and how consumers shop to the specific items they add to their baskets. Compared with relatively warm weather in December 2015, for example, the end of 2016 saw colder conditions that helped drive sales of seasonal apparel such as gloves, jackets and sweaters.

Understanding, planning for and managing these impacts enables retailers to better fulfill their customers’ needs and ensure the right product is in the right place at the right time. Planalytics has identified the weather factors that most influenced retail sales in Holiday 2016, as well as insights into what businesses can expect over the 2017 Holiday season. 

Weather and holiday sales infographic