Drier, warmer trends return by mid-month

Jack Grum, Vice President -- Casual Living, 5/1/2010 12:00:00 AM

May 2010 will trend slightly cooler than 2009, when the nation experienced its sixth warmest May in more than 17 years.

All four weeks of the retail month in 2009 trended warmer than the prior year and average. Record hot temperatures during the week prior to Memorial Day 2009 drove strong demand for hot weather categories. The least favorable region was the Pacific Northwest where colder and wetter conditions dampened demand for outdoor and seasonal categories.

This month, temperatures will still trend above the 30-year normal across most of the nation. Drier conditions this year across the East will be beneficial for outdoor living categories like grills, outdoor furniture and pool accessories.

Cooler and wetter weather across the Southwest during the first half of this month will temper demand for outdoor products; however, these categories should see a lift in demand following the Mother's Day holiday as drier and warmer trends return.

Warmer weather across the South Central and extreme northern New England during the week prior to Memorial Day will help to boost sales in outdoor categories.

610-807-3586, jgrum@wxtrends.com, www.wxtrends.com