Retailers like Walmart are using advanced weather data to shape local promotions and inventory, adjusting prices on seasonal items like sunscreen and winter gear. New tools help companies plan amid unpredictable weather patterns driven by climate change.
Retailers like Walmart are using weather analytics to navigate shopping trends affected by unpredictable conditions. Once limited to inventory planning, weather data now guides promotions and regional advertising. For example, Walmart discounted sunscreen earlier than usual, considering forecasts for a wetter autumn, according to Kirby Doyle of Beiersdorf, Walmart’s supplier.
Weather consultancies such as Meteonomiqs, Planalytics, and Weather Trends International are leveraging cloud technology to process large datasets as climate-related weather volatility rises. The National Retail Federation recently advised retailers to focus more on weather data in planning.
New pricing tools may soon emerge as Planalytics and BearingPoint develop software that incorporates weather trends into pricing decisions. "While weather can't be controlled, analytics and pricing can," noted Ryan Orabone of BearingPoint. Retailers like Tractor Supply also use this data to adjust inventory, as they rely on cold weather for Q4 success.
Retailers sometimes misinterpret data; in May, Lowe’s CFO cited cool, wet weather as a factor in weak sales, although it was actually one of the hottest Mays on record, according to Bill Kirk from Weather Trends.
Read next
13:26
2023 defied climate expectations. It wasn’t just hotter than predicted — it was strangely hot. Now, scientists are piecing together what caused this anomaly, raising fresh concerns about Earth’s climate systems.
10:02
The United Nations' top court on Monday starts hearings on the legal obligation of countries to fight climate change and the consequences for states of contributing to global warming, the outcome of which could influence litigation worldwide.
15:25
Indonesia is optimistic it can reach net zero emissions before 2050, a decade earlier than previously targeted, President Prabowo Subianto told a G20 forum.
12:05
The U.N. is working to secure $19M in climate financing for Afghanistan, aiming to address droughts and floods without engaging Taliban authorities, as the country remains blocked from climate funds since the 2021 takeover.
13:16
Chad’s weather agency struggles with broken equipment and lack of funding, reflecting a broader issue across Africa, where limited data hampers disaster preparedness. At COP29, urgent calls were made to improve early warning systems, aiming for universal coverage by 2027.