Spring?

I have a bone to pick with Punxsutawney Phil! You lied that spring was coming in six weeks! It is two days from Easter and I am still layered up wearing winter socks, thermals, and sitting by a fire. It is hard to even find warm clothes since it is so unseasonably cold. According to weather.com, there are supposed to be snow showers in Keene tonight. Gross.

Despite the cold weather, companies cannot help but advertise spring and summer items. There are spring sales at clothing stores such as Forever 21 and TJMaxx, and Easter sales at seasonal stores like Pier 1 Imports and Macy's. My question is, are people even in the mood to shop for spring and summer when they have to still dig our their winter clothes? How can companies be making money on their seasonal items when the atmosphere is not right? Companies are being forced to start the sales and discounts earlier than normal just to maintain a normal business flow as well as keep their financial statements out of the red.

There is marketing evidence that consumers do not purchase as much when other characteristics are off, such as the weather, severe economic change, or a natural disaster. At this moment in time, all three of these are true. What do you think companies should be doing at times like these?