EP 225: How Weather Forecasting Is a Trillion-Dollar Retail Opportunity

Retail Unwrapped - from The Robin Report

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Special Guests:

Evan Gold, EVP of Global Partnerships & Alliances at Planalytics

Matt Flentge, Director of Category Marketing at Ace Hardware Inc.

Let’s move beyond Punxsutawney Phil's shadow and his Spring 2025 prediction into the sophisticated world of weather-driven retail strategy. The ritual is a convergence of folklore and cutting-edge analytics that has implications for the $7 trillion U.S. retail market. Join Shelley, Evan Gold, EVP of Global Partnerships & Alliances at Planalytics and Matt Flentge, Director of Category Marketing at Ace Hardware as they discuss the weather; last year marked the fifth warmest spring in 130 years, setting a challenging benchmark for 2025 performance comparisons. While Phil's prediction of a late spring captured the headlines, the real story lies in how modern retailers are transforming weather forecasting into actionable business intelligence. Weather influences over $1 trillion in annual retail sales, with spring weather sensitivity affecting retail traffic by up to 5 percent annually. Learn how retailers like Ace Hardware are leveraging hyperlocal weather data to optimize everything from inventory management to digital transformation. Successful retailers are using advanced analytics to transform climate challenges into strategic advantages that optimize forecast accuracy, drive top-line sales, and enhance service levels for physical and digital retail.

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