But now that discounters, specialty stores and the Internet have provided shoppers with plenty of ways to get what they want when they want it, it's never been more important for retailers to have the right stuff. That has caused retailers to demand shorter lines from their vendors and suppliers, said Lanier. One of the most difficult things is to figure out when to stop selling hats and gloves, since most retailers start getting rid of them when Christmas is over, Walsh said. If I had a store full of swimwear and sundresses I don't know what I'd do. But even early deliveries aren't the answer.
Most retailers plan the coming season by looking at the past season.
But much of those sales, particularly with outerwear, are based on the weather. According to Walsh, weather only repeats itself 30 percent of the time. And sometimes, lost sales have nothing to do with weather closing stores, or what is in stock. Betty Ann Levy and Laurie Goldsticker went looking for supplies for a trip Wednesday, but left empty-handed. Everything's on sale, but it's really a go out, have lunch, look around and go home for a nap kind of day.