Whatever the Weather  

Clearly soups are going to sell better in the winter and sunscreen will be more popular in the summer, but there are other surprising items that fly off the shelves during specific seasons. Infant clothing sales increase dramatically in warmer weather (four percent for a one-degree increase in temperature) and mousetraps catch customers when it gets colder. During hotter temperature, both in-person and online sales get a boost — including non-weather related products.

Stores are well aware of these outside influences and use seasonal marketing to cater to that period’s popular items. Campbell Soup Co. uses a “misery index” that tracks when the weather takes a nasty turn in US cities and then cues up soup ads in those markets. Pantene’s weather-targeted display ads produced a 28 percent sales increase, and Starbucks uses email promos referencing current weather conditions to draw in customers.

Negative ads tend to get more attention on gloomy days ⸺ the idea that “misery loves company” applies here. Ever wonder why malls are generally too warm? Studies by Kyle B. Murray in 2010 show warm temperatures cause customers to feel “closer” to products, which increases their perception of the products’ value.

According to Tesco (the British version of Walmart), as soon as the weather turns colder hot cocoa and bird feed start flying off the shelves. Root-vegetable consumption increases, but salads are still a thing — especially on a Monday when we’re all feeling guilty about indulging over the weekend!