Whether it was inspiration from this “summer of sport” or keeping up with the ever-changing weather, the increasing unpredictability of consumers’ shopping habits was on display this summer. From strawberries and cream sales soaring during Wimbledon to the switch from the hottest June on record to a rainy July encouraging shoppers to quickly swap from sunglasses to umbrellas, there’s no denying that a range of external influences are driving unforeseen peaks of interest in different goods.
Flexibility and timeliness are absolutely key when it comes to responding to fast-moving buying trends, as retailers must balance longer-term buying choices with customers’ shorter-term impulse decisions.
