The first few months of 2013 are already looking a bit grim for retail shops across the UK as many stores are struggling to unload their spring wear stocks from their racks and shelves.
Despite efforts from several boutiques and retail stores to hold one-off sales, many items have remained unsold. What is more, many retailers have been forced to push back orders for summertime clothing until they could find a way to make the current crop of spring clothing sell.
The first few months of 2013 are already looking a bit grim for retail shops across the UK as many stores are struggling to unload their spring wear stocks from their racks and shelves.
Despite efforts from several boutiques and retail stores to hold one-off sales, many items have remained unsold. What is more, many retailers have been forced to push back orders for summertime clothing until they could find a way to make the current crop of spring clothing sell.
Don Williams, retail and wholesale chief at accountancy firm BDO, have commented on the recent fashion setback, saying, "The weather can have a significant impact on fashion retail, and has undoubtedly had an impact on sales in the last month."
Erratic weather patterns are likely to be the main culprit of the issue many retailers are facing at the moment, given that the winter months in the UK are experiencing longer periods than previous years. While winter garments may be selling out by the dozens, people are unlikely to purchase clothes that offer little insulation from the cold unless weather conditions shift to warmer temperatures.
Marks & Spencer saw a five percent drop in their sales in the previous quarter, fearing that consumers may forgo buying any spring items and simply wait until the summer stocks arrive. They have attempted to counter this by holding online sales to, hopefully, lure their customers. However, they have not come up with any significant results so far.
Williams, who is not taken aback with the extreme action, says, "Retailers fear shoppers will now hold out for summer lines, forcing them to clear spring stock by discounting, hitting even those stores that have continued to maintain tight stock levels and introduce greater flexibility into the supply chain."
The pressure is certainly on for Marks & Spencer and other big-name UK retailers to make a last-minute scramble before summer arrives, stocking on trendy garments suitable for sunnier environments.
Williams has issued some words of caution to retailers should they fail to move last season's stock off their racks. According to him, "The danger is all this extra stock could clog the system and the retailers are clearly planning for that blockage to not be terminal, because if there's too much stock then it simply becomes worthless, and that's no good to anyone in the chain."
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