This Black Friday, temps across the U.S. are expected to be chillier than last year, and the weather might change what shoppers are buying over the weekend.
Extreme cold is expected to hit on Thanksgiving day and Black Friday, according to business weather intelligence provider Planalytics. Snow will likely fall from Massachusetts to Albany, with wind chills below zero in the Northeast, and temperatures will be in the teens from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. In the U.S. Gulf coast and Canada, temperatures are expected to be warmer than last year.
“The colder weather year over year should drive demand for apparel such as winterwear in Denver (29 percent higher), fleece in New Orleans (16 percent higher), sweaters in Phoenix (14 percent higher) and boots in Montreal,” Coresight Research said Wednesday.
Beyond the Black Friday shopping weekend, temps for December overall are expected to be warmer than last year, though it will be cooler in the Southwest. More rain across most of the U.S. is also in the forecast.
“Demand is expected to be higher for fleece in the Southwest but lower for boots, gloves and hot cocoa across the rest of the U.S. The impact of the warmer weather is expected to generate an incremental $1.1 billion in sales for restaurants, $727 for home-center stores and an additional $247 million for specialty apparel,” Coresight Research noted. “Poor air quality caused by fires in northern California could dampen holiday spending in the San Francisco Bay Area.”
Last year, Planalytics said cold and dry weather in many parts of the U.S. had a positive impact on holiday sales, boosting buys for coats, boots, scarves, hats and gloves, so the cooler temps could be a boon for the upcoming key holiday shopping days, too.