Unexpected demand during something like a sporting event or even an unseasonably hot day can have a huge impact on the buying behaviour of consumers. Take for instance BBQ meat or beer: both of these items see demand soar if the weather is nice or England make it beyond the group stages of the World Cup. As a retailer, you need to be able to respond to this. But how can you ensure you achieve the right stock levels to satisfy the demand? Meet the BBQ button!
To take full advantage of any sales opportunities, you must be able to react quickly. In the face of unforeseen events, such as “hot weather”, buyers often have to make additional orders at random without any real insight into how the demand will develop.
Equally, there are some items where sales patterns can differ hugely at the start of the summer season compared with late August or September. Think about BBQ sauces: everyone rushes out to buy these products as soon as the first sunny weekend arrives. But by the end of the season, demand will have all but disappeared. The consequence is that what should have been a fantastic opportunity to profit ends up resulting in a vast amount of surplus cost at great cost to the business!