RAINY-DAY SHOPPING: STORES' NEXT FRONTIER

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, January 19, 1993                   TAG: 9301190136
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A-3   EDITION: METRO  
SOURCE: Dallas Morning News
DATELINE: NEW YORK                                 LENGTH: Short
RAINY-DAY SHOPPING: STORES' NEXT FRONTIER
Singing in the rain may be popular, but what about shopping? Ask Fred Fox, who says weather is the next frontier in retailing.
"Retailers can't control the weather, but they can control how it affects their business," said Fox, president and chief executive officer of Strategic Weather Services in Wayne, Pa.
This week, Fox is showing his company's long-range forecasting technology at the National Retail Federation's annual exposition, which includes displays from more than 200 retail suppliers.
Weather affects product demand and store traffic without any regard for advanced information systems and planning technologies, Fox said.
But retailers can turn weather to their advantage, he added, by knowing what's coming 12 to 15 months in advance.
The information, Fox said, allows retailers to create "weather-effective" merchandise plans and assortments by location. The models also can help in the planning of promotions and special events.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB