Snow, Bikinis and Global Warming

ATLANTA, Georgia, January 24, 2008

Snow hit Atlanta last weekend, prompting flurries of Twitter updates and text messages. Yes, it was snowing. In Atlanta.

Worth noting, however, is that two weeks prior, the Moreland Ave. Target had put gloves, hats and other winter garb on clearance, making room for an early January display of swimwear. (Do. Not. Want.)

So, when snow covered grass in Atlanta, did mega-retailer Target have powder on its face? Isn't that a pretty egregious misread of upcoming weather?

According to a December NYTimes.com piece by Michael Barbaro, retailers are employing climatologists to help them forecast changing weather and stock stores accordingly:

The discount retailer Target has established a “climate team” to provide advice on what kind of apparel to sell throughout the year. [...] Target set up its climate team in 2004 after observing unseasonable weather throughout the country, which could create a shortage of some merchandise (like light sweaters) and a glut of others (like heavy coats).

Members of the team, known inside the chain as climate merchants, study historical weather patterns and up-to-the-minute forecasts to advise colleagues on which products to buy and when to put them on the sales floor.

At their urging, Target’s plans for coats “have changed dramatically,” said Michael Alexin, vice president for apparel design and development at the chain.

“Retailers used to consider September the start of fall,” Mr. Alexin said. But Target now stocks lightweight jackets during that month, waiting until November to sell heavy coats. And even then, Target is avoiding the thickest fabrics. “We sell very, very little wool,” Mr. Alexin said.

I'd be interested to know what happened at the meeting where folks were advised to stock bikinis in January.