Five to Thrive: Fall Weather

Fall is one of the most weather-sensitive times of the year for small business retailers. Cooling temperatures, seasonal conditions and fall holidays help put consumers in the mood to purchase autumn-themed products, apparel, food, home goods and convenience items. To stay visible in communities, retailers should connect promotions, merchandising, store operations and customer experience to changing fall weather patterns. 

1. Use fall festivities to drive store traffic 

From pumpkin season, football games and back-to-school activities to Halloween and cooler weather, fall creates opportunities to boost demand for seasonal products. Small businesses can use targeted promotions, store signage, local events and social media to connect fall activities with customer needs and drive awareness, engagement and foot traffic. 

2. Prepare your storefront for inclement weather 

Fall weather brings rain, mud, falling leaves and shorter days. Prepare by maintaining clean, dry entryways, ensuring exterior lighting is working properly and inspecting HVAC systems to keep customers comfortable and safe. 

3. Refresh fall merchandise displays 

Seasonal transitions offer natural opportunities to refresh your sales floor and capture early holiday shoppers. Group weather-sensitive items — like light jackets, umbrellas, seasonal snacks and mugs — near the front. In addition, fall is the ramp-up season to the winter holidays. Introduce autumn-themed displays that subtly hint at upcoming holiday gift items without rushing the season. 

4. Plan ahead for storm-related demand 

In hurricane-prone areas, small businesses should have a storm preparedness plan in place. Remain vigilant, as customers will ramp up preparations and purchasing the moment a storm’s impact is forecasted to occur. Regardless of the exact path a storm takes, customer expectations are high. Retailers should be ready to serve customers, keep employees safe and ensure facilities and inventory are protected.  

5. Keep customers engaged during bad weather 

Bad weather can reduce foot traffic, but targeted promotions and a welcoming store environment can help offset the slowdown. Consider weather-triggered offers, seasonal in-store touches and convenient options like curbside pickup and buy online, pick up in store to keep customers engaged. 

The views expressed in this content are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the view of the National Retail Federation. This content is provided for educational purposes only and does not imply indorsement by NRF.