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Warm Winter Cools Retail

As winter approached, retailers set up shop. Well, winter is here, sort of. Nationally, last month was one of the warmest Decembers on record, and so far January temperatures are above average, according to Planalytics, a research firm that tracks weather’s effect on businesses.

Winter hats, coats, and gloves are collecting dust, not snow. On Saturday, the outdoors store REI took the unusual step of making artificial snow in a Manhattan park, hoping to encourage people to buy snowshoes and winter jackets. Home Depot has cut down on items like salt for de-icing, and many of its stores have replaced snow removal equipment with storage products in  displays.

Planalytics said that demand for boots in December was down about 20% from a year ago, according to its data, while demand for snow-removal gear declined 70% in the second week of January from that week last year. Next year: swimming gear and beach umbrellas?

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