Disgusted

[John Coloccia]

It's the middle of winter here. We're getting hammered with snow storms. It's cold as heck. You'd think I should be able to go out to a store and buy winter gloves.

Nope. They've already switched over to summer gear. Are you kidding me? I always try to buy local when I can, and support local businesses, but I've been ordering more and more online as I find local businesses are less and less interested in supporting me. Where is the value added for paying the brick and mortar premium?

Just a minor little rant. It really is disgusting, though. I guess they expect me to shop for winter in the summer time? Bah.

[Grant Wilkinson]

Come to my city. You can buy all the winter gloves you can use.

[John Coloccia]

I used to be like that here. This is just so stupid. I guess they have to make room for all of their Thanksgiving merchandise...I mean it's already February.

[Anthony Whitesell]

It seems to be a double edged sword. Because of the severe winter several places I have visited for winter items have just plain sold-out and can't get more before winter ends and they can't sell it. Some places have tried to shift stock store-to-store for what they can. I made an offhand comment at Lowe's about having any snowblowers two storms ago, and, ironically, they brought snowblowers down from stores up north. The ones that haven't been able to bring in more winter stock have filled the floor space with what they have, which happens to be summer stuff.

[Brian Elfert]

I was just in a Walmart here in Minneapolis last night and was shocked that they still had a nearly full selection of winter gloves and hats. It seems that by Mid February usually that stuff is on clearance and the racks are turned over to spring goods.

[Mike Ontko]

It seems to be a standard inventory management practice for the big box stores to only stock certain items in advance of when you actually need and want to buy them I went looking for a box fan last autumn (pre-Thanksgiving), so I could set up a simple spray booth. No such luck finding that item, but they did have Christmas decor in place and the outdoor grilling equipment was still on display :/

[Bob Turkovich]

I had the same experience this AM (while you were posting, John!). My current gloves are just not keeping my hands warm. Went to the local REI store because they were advertising a 30-50% clearance sale on gloves. The only thing they had left were "spring" gloves. The problem of ordering online (and there were still plenty available on line) is that size really varies between manufacturers and models. Followed up by going to the local Dick's Sporting Goods. Same thing - no real winter gloves at all.

[Larry Edgerton]

Not sure about gloves as we need winter gloves here all year long, except for one week in July, but..

I have a friend who has a clothing store and they have to buy all their stuff before it is made, summer bought at the beginning of winter, winter stuff bought at the beginning of summer. The manufacturers are not keeping a stock of items on hand at all. Annoys me as well as I am very fussy about what I buy and if I don't get there early in the season the stuff I like is sold out and they can not order just a few of anything. To make it worse for them they go to the shows, and have to make their mind up what they want and in what amounts right then and there.

So... the object is to sell the last of something just as the season is over and not have to store it or put it on sale. Seems your store underestimated the amount of gloves. Go to a hunting store, they will have them I would surmise.

More black fine cord Pendleton shirts please.....

[John Coloccia]

Go to a hunting store, they will have them I would surmise.

I tried Cabelas first, figuring exactly that. Nope...all out, except for some Women's gloves....in small.

Then I went to Eastern Mountain Sports, figuring "Hey, people are still skiing, everyday!! They must have something." They had even less.

That's the shocking part. It's not like I'm going to some mall department store. I'm going to specialty stores. You mean to tell me that if someone breaks or loses a ski glove, then that's it? No more skiing for the season? Really?

[Brian Elfert]

Part of this has to do with almost all clothing being made overseas. A lot of goods come straight off the ship and direct to the stores with minimal warehousing. There is little opportunity to re-order since it takes probably a minimum of six weeks to get the items made and then shipped to the United States.

[Rick Moyer]

There's probably a whole container of gloves sitting on a west coast dock right now!

[Bob Turkovich]

I tried Cabelas first, figuring exactly that. Nope...all out, except for some Women's gloves....in small.

Then I went to Eastern Mountain Sports, figuring "Hey, people are still skiing, everyday!! They must have something." They had even less.

That's the shocking part. It's not like I'm going to some mall department store. I'm going to specialty stores. You mean to tell me that if someone breaks or loses a ski glove, then that's it? No more skiing for the season? Really?

Same here. Also tried Gander Mountain (remember their ads..."Hunt, fish, camp!"). Other than a few camo or orange, there was nothing other than kids and a few women's.

[glenn bradley]

It seems that if you could predict accurate inventory requirements for a micro section of your retail coverage, you could make bank! This is why the mom and pop shops used to be so very useful. They actually knew what people bought and when they bought it. America wanted Wal-Mart pricing and so forced their friends and neighbors out of business. Shouldn't we all be happy?

[Brad Adams]

Yep, was at the mall with my wife this weekend and all the swimsuits were out already!

[Myk Rian]

Gloves for winter? I just use 2 pair of those cotton work gloves. One inside the other.
You can get 6 pair for $7.