Big-name retailers such as Walmart are increasingly using analytics to blunt the impact of one of the most unpredictable performance variables of shopping: weather.
Weather data, once used strictly for inventory planning, is now helping retailers localise advertising and decide when to discount seasonal items such as sweaters.
Read the full article on the Reuters website
NAM Implications:
- This boils down to factoring in anything that affects store traffic behaviour.
- And retailers will attempt to make this as practical and realistic as possible.
- And try to shift responsibility (and cost) for variables up the supply chain.
- Suppliers in turn need to anticipate and meet these requirements.
- But key they factor in the extra costs into trade negotiations…
- …aiming as always for their fair share of investment and sales.
