Why can't retail sell clothing for the CURRENT season (head, supply, fashion)

[vision33r]

Went to target to look for some summer clothing and recently it shrunk in half. They're putting out fall and school clothing right now. Same thing for winter time, I go look for gloves and scarfs and they could only be found in the clearance section in January. They already started putting out Spring clothing in the middle of WINTER!

I just came back from Uniqlo and they did the same thing, front and center all fall stuff and summer stuff is all in the back and hard to find as most current stock haven't restock.

This is why retail fails and I have to shop online to buy what I need.

[ClaraC]

That's funny you say that, because yesterday I was in Target looking for a bathing suit, kind of a "hail mary", thinking maybe maybe maybe they might have something I like still this late in the summer. Usually stores are completely out of bathing suits by the time you want to buy a last minute one for a beach trip.

I was shocked. While Academy was virtually out (as expected) there were more bathing suits in Target than i've ever seen in one place at a time.

My prediction is, Target is fighting hard to maintain a brick and mortar presence.

Maybe it varies by store.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

If you time it right, the clothes you're looking for will be discounted. I just bought a bunch of shorts and tank tops for less than half of what they wanted two months ago. It's hot enough here that I'll be able to wear them at least until November, maybe all year.

[saibot]

I've run up against problems like this multiple times.

1. It's hot, so I'm just not thinking about winter clothes. Or it's cold, so I'm not thinking about summer clothes. I suppose buying a season or two ahead works for people who are really into clothes and shopping and planning, but that is not me at all. I tend not to even go to stores that sell clothes until I have an immediate need, in which case...

2. All of a sudden, I desperately need something for the current season. My child lost the top of her bathing suit or suddenly outgrew her shorts; my son's flip-flops fell apart. I go looking for replacements, and all the summer clothing is GONE, at least in their sizes. All I can find are sweaters and long pants and boots...

3. So I decide to stock up on winter clothes right now, and stash them away until colder weather comes. All of a sudden, my child goes through a growth spurt, or I forget all about the new clothes and never bring them out, or we have a warm dry winter and just don't ever need them. It turns out to be a huge waste of money.

Online shopping has saved me several times, but they also clear out their seasonal stock and bring in the next season months ahead of time, just as brick-and-mortar stores do.

[TabulaRasa]

I find it particularly frustrating with children's clothes. With toddlers, their growth can be fast...so you can outgrow a swimsuit, say, by the time summer is out, and if you didn't gamble and also purchase the next size up, knowing that if it's not needed, next summer it will be outgrown, you can be out of luck. And, sometimes not. My son stayed small for a while and could wear the same stuff two summers running, and if I'd bought the next size up, in anticipation of outgrowing, I'd just have one more thing to store.


Same thing with winter coats. Better know what you might need in August, and be able to predict growth, so that you're not squeezing a kid into a too-small winter coat in February, when the stores only have shorts and tank tops.

[Pink Jazz]

I think the historical reason is that fashion companies have catered to the wealthy that look for the latest trends ahead of time, and are willing to pay more before the actual season starts. With online shopping, this model has become somewhat outdated since consumers can buy clothes for the weather instead of the latest trends.

Also, regional climate may also play a factor in the availability of inventory as well. In warmer climates they might get a larger stock of spring/summer clothes ahead of time before the season ends to last longer through the end of the season.

One store type I noticed here in Arizona where they don't follow the fashion calendar are off-price stores like Ross and T.J. Maxx. They keep a year-round supply of warm weather clothes.

[WoundedSpirit]

Stores have been doing this forever. I remember in my younger days trying to find a sun dress in July when it was hot. Too late, they already had coats and sweaters out. Good luck finding a pair of snow boots in December, or sandals in August.

Luckily, we were still able to buy some table fans at the beginning of July, otherwise we would have never made it through this latest heat wave!

[silibran]

I totally get this!

But it cuts both ways. Sometimes at the tail end of an unusually mild winter, I’ve found heavily discounted winter wear—more than you would expect.

And at midsummer, you will find fewer, but discounted things for warm weather.

It pays to be an opportunistic shopper.

[vision33r]

Last summer we tried to buy swimming suits for the kids during late July and most were left overs at Target and Kohls. Then going to malls you'll find them but they are selling for full price. Then at shoe stores we went to look for Sandals and again most popular sizes were gone and no stock everywhere except for big brands at the malls. If you go to Target now, it is school stuff and clothing already. The summer sections are getting skimpier except for women's bathing suit section and my wife complains it's mostly plus sizes left.

[TMSRetired]

I hate that too. You see spring/summer clothes in the winter and fall/winter clothes in the summer.
It's only July and already the summer stuff is piled in one aisle so they can put out the fall clothes.