Beneath the colorness skies: Does weather influence consumer color preference?

Abstract

Understanding consumer preference is crucial for optimizing inventory management and enhancing consumer satisfaction. While previous research has explored various determinants of consumer choices, the role of weather in shaping consumer color preference has received little attention. This study addresses this gap by investigating how key weather variables—temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed—affect consumer color preference in the fashion clothing market. Using data from 3,184,162 transactions across 99 physical fashion retail stores in Italy, we analyze consumer clothing purchases as indicators of color preference. Our findings reveal that higher temperatures and relative humidity lead consumers to prefer cooler clothing colors, while increased wind speed encourages the selection of warmer colors. Additionally, fashion trends play a moderating role in shaping the relationship between weather conditions and color preference. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the weather's influence on consumer behavior and offers valuable insights for retailers, enabling them to better anticipate changes in consumer preference under different weather conditions and reduce supply-demand imbalances.