Recycle the Label Owner Liberty Bracegirdle said she had observed that shoppers’ purchases were impacted by the weather of the day rather than monthly trends.
“When it’s warm outside you don’t look for a massive woolly jumper,” Bracegirdle said.
“The weather does definitely influence what people buy on the day-to-day, unless they’re looking for a specific item.”
Bracegirdle said she had noticed some shoppers would stock their entire winter wardrobe in summer to catch the end-of-season sales, but many stuck to traditional seasonal patterns of buying.
“Everyone shops differently.”
Andersons Menswear and Noire clothing stores owner Darrell Smith said his winter range was becoming “slightly lighter” and more “trans-seasonal”.
“We’re slowly moving that way as our climate gets a bit warmer but nothing drastic, because we still get very cold blasts that make the winter stuff desirable,” Smith said.
Wolves in Chic Clothing owner Polly Cleverley said the “small and eclectic nature” of her boutique women’s clothing store meant it was not necessary to follow a seasonal model.
“The fact we’re not being thrown into the midst of winter right now is a relief to me and I’m enjoying the many women who come in still looking for a variety of clothing,” Cleverley said.
Cleverley said operating with a smaller range meant she would not be affected in the future by changes in the climate.
“If I was trying to be mainstream like other clothing retailers, I would be up against the same criteria but I make a point of running it differently so I can survive in a small way.”
Dimocks Homestore owner Nigel Bishop said their sales of blankets and winter bedding had gone as expected so far this year.
“It’s still been fairly steady for what we would expect for this time of year and we are selling as normal,” Bishop said.
“Once we’re in May, then the sales pick up.”
Owen said the northerly winds and moist, warm air coming down from the subtropics had led to warm, dry conditions in Whanganui.
“Also the clear skies above Whanganui have meant more sunshine than the northern parts of the country.”
Owen said last weekend Whanganui was the warmest place in the country, with a high of 23C in the city.