Have you ever wondered how weather and temperature impact a consumer’s buying behavior? Of course, on a hot summer day, many of us seek out the nearest ice cream truck or shop to cool off with an icy dessert.
But did you know that weather can also impact your store traffic and sales volume in particular product categories? When temperatures fall in the winter, your ice cream sales will fall while your oatmeal sales increase. Similarly, understanding how temperature and weather impact consumer behavior is a vital piece in the journey to maximize your company’s sales potential.
Follow the Weather Channel
Most of us turn on the television every morning to see our local forecast for the upcoming week. However, the Weather Channel can now help marketers learn more than just when it is going to rain.
Marketers can turn to the Weather Channel to understand when consumers are going to buy certain products. Different weather variables like precipitation, temperature, pollen count, and UV Index impact our moods and influence our purchasing decisions.
By tracking every state’s zip codes, marketers can also reach consumers with their products at the right moments. For instance, bug spray tends bug spray tends to sell well in the spring in Dallas when its dew-point is below average.
By tailoring your advertising, you can make it easier to get your products into consumers’ hands. And by effectively using the data that the Weather Channel collects, you will be able to market your products better.
Understand Projection Bias
Currently, psychologists and economists have noticed that consumers give into projection bias. Basically, as consumers, we fail to predict how much our current taste and preferences will match our future ones. Thus, we tend to constantly make decisions that might not be best over time.
For example, Projection bias happens when we are grocery shopping and hungry. As many have experienced, heading to the grocery store hungry and without a shopping list can result in unexpected purchases on junk food and other snacks. Ultimately, , our present desire to eat can derail our long term goal of eating healthy.
Temperature and weather clearly play a part in this, proving that purchasing items is not always because of our needs. Researchers have now noticed that projection bias and weather go hand in hand. They can influence when consumers make important purchases like houses and cars.
Take Advantage of Warm Temperatures
The terrible winter that the U.S. has experienced this year kept consumers at home and not spending money. Yet, as temperatures continue to rise, consumers are starting to spend again.
When potential buyers feel comfortably warm, they tend to be more interested and want to buy products they see. When thermometers are displaying warm and pleasant temperatures, customers have a better perception of the products they are interested in purchasing. As researchers explain, “exposure to physical warmth activates the concept of emotional warmth.”
The study proved that temperatures influence consumer behavior. The study included three experiments where participants’ purchasing habits were examined between warm and cold temperatures. In the third experiment, where a group of participants were placed in the warmest room, they were willing to pay more for 9 of the 11 products than the other group.
According to the study’s results, the optimal temperature for increased consumer purchasing is 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Store owners should consider setting their thermostats to this temperature and see for themselves the impact that temperature plays on consumer behavior.
Add Warmth to Your Consumers’ Perception
To increase sales, consider creating a sense of warmth in your customers’ shopping experiences. By doing this, shopper’s will have an improved sense of comfort and be more inclined to stick around longer in your store. This sense of warmth will also make your customers more inclined to spend more money.
Perception of the product and product placement can also affect whether a consumer will ultimately purchase the item. For instance, the atmosphere of your store may be more influential than the actual products being sold. By creating a comfortable store atmosphere and environment, you will see increased sales — you’ll be making your product better appeal to buyers.
No matter what type of business you own, weather is a large part of your consumers’ buying behavior. Consider your marketing and advertising strategies, and warm your customers up!