SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF FORECASTING SEASONAL TRANSITIONS IN RETAIL SALES
In some embodiments, systems and methods are provided to forecast changes in seasons and/or changes in expected sales at one or more retail shopping facilities. In some embodiments, a system comprises a forecast control circuit; a memory storing computer instructions that cause the forecast control circuit to: forecast when a first changing of a first season to a second season is to occur at a first geographic area based on a detected change in sales of at least a first set of products at a first retail shopping facility located within the first geographic area; and forecast when in the future a second changing of the first season to the second season at a second geographic area is to occur based on a seasonal delay factor of the second geographic area relative to the occurrence of the changing of the first season at the first geographic area.
1 . A system to forecast seasonal transitions in retail sales, comprising:
a forecast control circuit;
a memory coupled to the forecast control circuit and storing computer instructions that when executed by the forecast control circuit cause the forecast control circuit to:
forecast when a first changing of a first season to a second season is to occur at a first geographic area based on a detected change in sales of at least a first set of products at a first retail shopping facility located within the first geographic area; and
forecast when in the future a second changing of the first season to the second season at a second geographic area is to occur based on a seasonal delay factor of the second geographic area relative to the occurrence of the changing of the first season at the first geographic area.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the seasonal delay factor is dependent on historical differences in time between when the changing from the first season occurs at the first geographic area and the subsequent changing from the first season occurring at the second geographic area.
3 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an inventory system configured to adjust over time orders of multiple products of at least the first set of products intended to be delivered to a second retail shopping facility located in the second geographic area based on the forecasted change from the first season at the second geographic area.
4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an inventory system configured to reduce overstocking of multiple products to be delivered to a second retail shopping facility located in the second geographic area based on the forecasted change from the first season at the second geographic area.
5 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an inventory system comprising memory storing inventory information of an inventory of products for sale at a second retail shopping facility located in the second geographic area, wherein the inventory system is configured to modify a sales strategy of at least a first product of the first set of products at the second retail shopping facility based on the forecasted change from the first season at the second geographic area and the inventory information corresponding to at least the first product.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the forecast control circuit, in forecasting when the first changing of the first season is to occur at the first geographic area, is configured to detect changes in sales that are consistent with historic changes in sales that correspond to historical changes of the first season.
7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an inventory system configured to confirm that an aberration in sales at a second retail shopping facility located in the second geographic area of one or more products is consistent with expected changes in sales based on the forecasted second changing from the first season.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the forecast control circuit is further configured to modify the forecast of when the second changing from the first season is to occur at the second geographic area as a function of forecasted temperature changes.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second geographic area is at a different altitude than the first geographic area.
10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the forecast control circuit is further configured to receive customer intention data from multiple different Internet of Things associated with the first geographic area, and apply one or more rules associate at least some of the customer intention data;
wherein the forecast control circuit in forecasting the first changing of the first season is configured to adjust the forecasted first changing based on the customer intention data.
11 . A method of forecast seasonal transitions in retail sales, comprising:
by a forecast control circuit:
forecasting when a first changing of a first season to a second season is to occur at a first geographic area based on a detected change in sales of at least a first set of products at a first retail shopping facility located within the first geographic area; and
forecasting when in the future a second changing of the first season to the second season at a second geographic area is to occur based on a seasonal delay factor of the second geographic area relative to the occurrence of the changing of the first season at the first geographic area.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the seasonal delay factor is dependent on historical differences in time between when the changing from the first season occurs at the first geographic area and the subsequent changing from the first season occurring at the second geographic area.
13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
adjusting over time orders of multiple products of at least the first set of products intended to be delivered to a second retail shopping facility located in the second geographic area based on the forecasted change from the first season at the second geographic area.
14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
reducing overstocking of multiple products to be delivered to a second retail shopping facility located in the second geographic area based on the forecasted change from the first season at the second geographic area.
15 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
maintaining inventory information of an inventory of products for sale at a second retail shopping facility located in the second geographic area; and
modifying a sales strategy of at least a first product of the first set of products at the second retail shopping facility based on the forecasted change from the first season at the second geographic area and the inventory information corresponding to at least the first product.
16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the forecasting when the first changing of the first season is to occur at the first geographic area comprises detecting changes in sales that are consistent with historic changes in sales that correspond to historical changes of the first season.
17 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
confirming that an aberration in sales at the second retail shopping facility located in the second geographic area of one or more products is consistent with expected changes in sales based on the predicted second changing from the first season.
18 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
modifying the forecast of when the second changing from the first season is to occur at the second geographic area as a function of forecasted temperature changes.
19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the second geographic area is at a different altitude than the first geographic area.