The unseasonably warm autumn is making clothes retailers sweat, but it has brought an Indian summer for fruit growers and pubs.
Clothing retailers are among the biggest losers. Major chains including Marks & Spencer, House of Fraser, Debenhams and New Look have all brought out the red discount signs in the past few weeks as shoppers shy away from buying winter coats and woollies. Heavier clothing is typicallymore expensive than summer T-shirts, so a continuing heatwave will put a dent in profits for fashion stores at what is usually their busiest time of year. Last week, Debenhams chief executive Michael Sharp said the weather was “certainly not helpful” for his plans to deliver a more “prudent” approach to discounting this year in a bid to recover from last year’s grim performance. Littlewoods owner Shop Direct said earlier this week that it had found the market “bumpy” in the last few weeks.
On the other hand, vineyards and fruit growers are benefiting from the weather. British strawberry producers have seen their outdoor crops produce fruit for two weeks longer than usual this autumn and theyexpect to be harvesting fruit from glasshouses into December. This year’s raspberry crop was up by a quarter on last year and blueberries were up by 60%, as warm weather combined with new growing techniques to increase production. Kent-based wine producer Chapel Down said its harvest was up 40% partly thanks to a warm September.
Caravan parks, pubs, cafes and restaurants are also getting a boost from the sun. Cash and carry operator Booker said it was benefiting as cafes and leisure firms were staying open for longer than usual while pubs were getting more trade as customers enjoyed sitting out in their gardens. That helped Booker’s sales rise to £2.26bn in the six months to 12 September.
