The heat returns and sales have slowed.

[foster9]

I posted a while back about my hypothesis on sales and weather.

As stated in past post July was a VERY hot month for most of the country.

Then we had a cool down for a week and a half.

When the weather was hot sales were very slow (for me).

When the weather cooled down sales increased (for me).

Now the weather has been hot for the past several days and sales have slowed (for me).

The next week or so looks to be nice and cool (for where I live anyway).

I am hoping sales will pick up again (for ALL sellers).

[slippinjimmy]

While there is never a single cause I do agree that the recent super hot weather especially as it coincides with the number one vacation period has a negative effect on shopping especially on non-seasonal goods.

The next negative will be the return to school effect throughout August, could be a good time for those selling appropriate goods but for the rest, especially discretionary items, the cash is being sucked up for other purposes.

Between the heat, the Olympics, back to school expenses, the elections, vacations there are a lot of distractions and things that eat up discretionary spending.

[m60driver]

As for my own sales, what I have noticed is that weekend sales have slowed down but that mid week sales show a slight uptick.  I just sold more items today (Monday) than I did this past weekend.

[12345jamesstamps]

With the tropical storm passing over Florida and bringing  20 inches of rain to the Carolinas, Georgia  and such...business will be slower for me...I had a few sales from California and Oregon.

The fires in the west aren't helping either.

[chapeau-noir]

Sales on my other site have been steady. Sales on this site have been dwindling for some time, no matter what I do, and I historically have steady sales with just the usual little wobbles. July was OK but it's usually better.

There are always 'reasons' for sales going up and down - pick one, any one.

[jg.mason]

I don't know what it is I just dropped off 10 items this morning, dropped off 7 items Friday. For me this is like covid times. I don't want to go back to that, it made this to much like a job.

My sales have picked up over the last two weeks. People spending left over budget money at the end of the month? People spending their discretionary budget money at the beginning of the month? People spending left over vacation money? 

[sfau]

I am not sure there is a connection - I have been selling fleece/winter clothes on those super hot days. Maybe people are daydreaming about cooler weather?  But that is fine - I will take it.

[vintagecraze50]

---

@12345jamesstamps wrote:

With the tropical storm passing over Florida and bringing  20 inches of rain to the Carolinas, Georgia  and such...business will be slower for me...I had a few sales from California and Oregon.

The fires in the west aren't helping either.

---

There goes a lot and I mean a lot of sales people. You are correct. Except stuff they need to get through the tragedy. I think we all are about numb over all these natural disasters at the moment from COVID TO ALL THIS.

[vintagecraze50]

---

@slippinjimmy wrote:

While there is never a single cause I do agree that the recent super hot weather especially as it coincides with the number one vacation period has a negative effect on shopping especially on non-seasonal goods.

The next negative will be the return to school effect throughout August, could be a good time for those selling appropriate goods but for the rest, especially discretionary items, the cash is being sucked up for other purposes.

Between the heat, the Olympics, back to school expenses, the elections, vacations there are a lot of distractions and things that eat up discretionary spending.

---

YEP, you covered most of the known causes for slow sales including the fires and the hurricane in progress.

[12345jamesstamps]

It doesn't happen everywhere in the USA...luckily.

I woke up to 53 degrees this morning in San Francisco and that is cold and we complain about that because that's the extent of our weather complaints here. We don't see rain until November maybe or anything else.

[chapeau-noir]

People are out of town here - up in the mountains, down at the ocean beaches. Roads are quiet and I don't think anyone much cares about online save for those who work here.

[mam98031]

OMG do you realize how many threads there are from sellers complaining about slow sales.  Why not just join one of the others instead of starting a new one?

[fbusoni]

When the weather was hot sales were very slow (for me).

When the weather cooled down sales increased (for me).

Your hypothesis:  sales are a function of temperature fluctuations.

Question please:  Is it possible to draw such a conclusion when the two phenomena that you are linking -- sales (the multidimensional riddles of consumer behavior) and weather (the sun, global wind currents, ozone layer, etc.) are each, on their own, the product of tens of thousands of exogenous variables?