Weather Permitting: How to Use Weather Data in Retail Forecasting
“Retail is detail. And there is a lot of ‘detail’ for retailers to manage and factor into the business every day. When it comes to external variables, nothing is more consistently and directly impactful on demand than the weather.
This is because the weather influences consumer buying behavior everyday – and it never stops changing; no other external variable shifts demand trends as immediately, frequently, and meaningfully. Despite knowing all this, too many retailers ignore the impact of weather and this adds error to plans and demand forecasts.”