Cold February brings slower than expected retail sales

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WASHINGTON (Map, News) - An unseasonably cold February meant slower than expected sales for many of the region’s top retailers.

“It really would have been great if we would have had the weather we have now in December,” said Burlington Coat Factory’s Dave Marks, who serves as regional sales manager for the Baltimore/Washington area.

T.J. Maxx, Macy’s and Wal-Mart all attributed lower February numbers to the harsh weather. Though Wal-Mart saw a 0.9 percent increase in sales, that was below what the company had projected for the month. Federated Department Stores Inc., which owns Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s, had growth of only 1.2 percent — less than half of the predicted rate of 2 to 3 percent. Ice storms during the days leading up to Valentine's Day particularly hurt the company, CEO Terry Lundgren said in a March 8 news release.

Cold temperatures often keep people home unless they have a driving reason to go out, such as Christmas shopping, Clear Thinking Group Partner and Managing Director Lee Diercks said.

For Burlington, which has nine stores in the area, the story was a little different, Marks said. Slow winter clothing sales in December, as well as slower spring clothing sales in February, hurt the company. Coat and outerwear sales soared, however, during January and February — boosting sales about 1 percent, he estimated.

The weather didn't slow down all retailers, particularly those marketing upscale clothing. Nordstrom Inc., which has seven branches in the area, enjoyed a 9.1 percent jump in sales for February.

High-end retailers are more insulated from weather-related sales drops because their customers are less driven by need, Diercks said. Lower-income customers hold off until it gets cold to purchase their winter apparel, and often go to stores and only find spring clothing available, he said.

melissa.frederick@dcexaminer.com

SEE THE LATEST ON THIS STORY

EMAIL STORY

PRINT STORY

58 days ago: Region’s food, gas, energy prices fuel retail inflation

111 days ago: Shopping parties help struggling retailers with sales

137 days ago: Businesses, retailers recognizing downtown’s current, future health

139 days ago: Shoppers ‘buying less, being smart about what they buy’

139 days ago: Consumers changing habits as prices increase

156 days ago: Retail sales rise, jobless claims fall for April

237 days ago: Value City closing Baltimore-area stores

310 days ago: Stores report modest retail numbers, some inflated by 2007 sales calendar

425 days ago: Back-to-school sales expected to surpass $18 billion

471 days ago: Expansion planned for Westfield Annapolis mall