Hot September could cost retailers £320m in sales

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has said a hot September could cost retailers £320m in sales, with non-food retailers losing £80m per week.

Based on Met Office figures, the new BRC research found a “clear relationship” between weather and retail sales. The report says that weather influences sales most between mid-August and early October, where it says warm weather delays consumer interest in autumn and winter lines.

It is said by the BRC that for every degree warmer than the previous year, retail sales drop by 1.1% costing £40m per week. This summer the Met Office expects temperatures to be two degrees higher, which in September will cost £80m.

Rachel Lund, BRC head of insight and analytics, said: “While few in the retail industry would deny that the weather impacts how we shop, the fact that this study reveals that its impact can be large and changeable only serves to highlight some of the complexity retailers have to navigate in serving consumers.

“The ability to understand and respond to unseasonable weather is clearly crucial for retailers wanting to thrive in today’s extremely competitive retail market.”