Weather & Retail Myth #1: You Can’t Plan for the Weather

December 15, 2022

What does 53°F and light rain mean for sales? The answer is different in Chicago than in Charlotte; it varies if it is a day in March or October. The weather’s influence on consumers is complex and nuanced and temperature or precipitation data is easily misinterpreted and misused. As a result, many businesses believe planning …

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Holiday Season Insights from the National Retail Federation & Planalytics

December 13, 2022

On December 8th, Planalytics hosted a Holiday Update webinar with special guest Katherine Cullen of the National Retail Federation (NRF). A recording of this presentation is available here. Katherine is the NRF’s Senior Director, Retail & Consumer Insights and she began the presentation with a look at their holiday sales forecast (+6-8%) and discussion of …

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Improving Demand Planning Accuracy by Integrating Weather Analytics

December 8, 2022

Our partners at Enhanced Retail Solutions have published a step-by-step overview for integrating weather-driven demand analytics into retail plans and demand forecasts. “Estimating future sales is increasingly difficult with so many factors to be taken into consideration. The economy, inconsistencies in stock levels, changes in assortments and consumer shopping patterns to name just a few. Most inventory …

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Combining Shopper Traffic Data with Weather Analytics to Improve Customer Experience

December 6, 2022

Retailers spend a significant amount of time planning. Planning to make sure the right products are on the shelf. Planning the optimal price and promotional cadence. Planning how the product will be merchandised in the stores. In addition to all of these detailed processes, businesses are also reliant on the store and operations teams to …

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Black Friday Weekend Recap From Planalytics

November 28, 2022

Mother Nature served up a cornucopia of weather supporting traffic into Shopping Destinations over the Holiday Weekend Regional Trends featured cold conditions in the West, milder in the East. The Thanksgiving and Black Friday weekend (November 24 – November 27) featured a variety of changeable conditions. Bitter cold in the East from earlier in the …

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A warmer October could force lead to steeper discounting for some UK retailers

November 8, 2022

The Evening Standard highlighted how UK retailers battled sales headwinds in October as warmer temperatures slowed demand for seasonal merchandise. In the article (“Retailers forced to discount winter wear as mild weather continues”), the writer reports that “Met Office figures suggest that last month was the seventh warmest October since records began in 1884, and …

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Forrester: 2023 Technology Spending Needs to Deliver Business Value

November 3, 2022

In a Forbes article entitled “How Will Technology Spending Deliver Business Value In 2023?” the research firm Forrester discussed key themes for IT investment heading into the new year. Forrester writes “Despite some mixed economic signals and various business challenges around the world, technology executives must approach the 2023 planning cycle with a growth mindset. …

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RSR’s New Report Highlights Retailer’s Perspectives on AI

October 28, 2022

Retail Systems Research (RSR) have published their 2022 Benchmark Report “Artificial Intelligence in Retail: What Now?”   The report provides a wealth of interesting insights and shows how retailers are pursuing opportunities in artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) and how their priorities have evolved since the 2020 RSR Benchmark. The report is extensive covering …

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Halloween Outlook From Planalytics

October 24, 2022

Warmer Temperatures Boil and Bubble in the Central and East, Colder Thrills and Chills in the West Mother Nature Throws a Variety of Weather in her Cauldron this Halloween The spooky season is finally here, and consumers are ready! As Halloween falls on a Monday, a large amount of consumer purchasing will take place during …

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Predictive Analytics: A Key Ingredient to QSR Success

October 12, 2022

“Why AI and ML are Key Ingredients for Quick-Service Restaurants”, an article posted on QSR, outlined several areas where machine learning insights and predictive analytics can offer operational improvements, financial benefits, and competitive advantages to businesses. The article starts with “Despite the surge in takeout dining since the start of the pandemic, the quick-service restaurant …

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