It’s no secret that the nation’s had its hopes of yet another tie-breaking Cricket victory scuffed by the dreary drizzle of British Summer rain- it’s all the rage within the Ashes Test community, we’ve heard.
With England’s fourth Ashes Test against Australia at Old Trafford getting delayed by weather- of all things, during July! – we at C-Talk thought it necessary to reflect on the great British summer from a retailer point of view.
The weather can often be charming, but on the days where it can’t seem to make its mind up, customers and retailers alike suffer heavily.
Whether it be not knowing if you should wrap up or down or bring a jacket ‘just in case’- or simply underestimating the lack of sunscreen stocked on the shelves due to the colourless cascade of clouds in the sky the day before- it’s nice to know that it’s a nationwide problem that, with a few tips from us, can be side-stepped and handled graciously.
Now, if the summer we’re expecting is guaranteed to be the same as the summers we had as kids (long and sunny hours, consistent most of all with no chance of a sudden chilly breeze) then it would all be pretty straightforward…
Ice creams would be crowding the freezers, disposable BBQs coincidentally stocked right next to the till, coleslaw and ready-to-eat cocktail sausages in the fridges; ready-to-be-made by Mum into that week’s fifth picky-bits tea.
Bags of ice, mixers for cocktails and RTD cans sitting pretty on the shelves, just waiting for the right person to come along and crack them open for a nice, long refreshing sip under the semi-scorching sun.
Sunscreen, insect repellent, even miniature water guns that serve as cheap entertainment for the kids before the meat’s finished grilling and the bag of buns are ripped open; the summer stock list seems endless and profitable, yet slightly behind on the current weather forecast.
There still has to be some accommodation for these items, of course, as it’s practically second nature for us Brits to slap on a pair of shorts and a sun visor as soon as the sun peeks its’ head out from behind the clouds; whether it be a short, appreciated visit or an overnight stay into 9pm the next day, you can almost always count on us to make the most of its scarce, sunny rays.
Equally however, purely stocking summer essentials and ignoring the other seasons may not be the best way to stay true to the ‘convenience’ aspect of your store.
It’s not unheard of for the rain to wake us up in the AM, just for the sun to come around noon and evaporate what once was; leaving practically no evidence of the miserable morning behind. Moods and plans for the day can switch as quickly as the weather does (quite literally!), meaning that although retailers must be aware of the forecast guidelines, they should also take it with a pinch of salt; providing the flexibility needed just in case the guidelines don’t work out perfectly.
After all, it’s not going to do anybody a whole lot of good if it’s absolutely freezing outside and all a customer wants is a nice cup of steaming coffee; only to walk into their local store to find the set-up switched off, a Tango Ice Blast or F’real machine in its wake instead.
Although it seems counter-intuitive to stock umbrellas and raincoats past the month of May, it’s also vital to realise that nobody can truly predict the weather; and at the rate that things are going, it’s always a good idea to have them on the shelves just in case!
