Even though Arizona basically doesn’t have a winter int he same sense most of the country does, all the swimming and grilling things disappear from major stores at the same time as they do in Wisconsin, and presumably, the rest of the country. We noticed this ourselves and asked a few of the few native Arizonans if this was a pattern or if we were just looking in the wrong places. They did confirm it to be a general pattern.
Cardigans for those chilly 70 degree nights
Frankly, this is annoying and a bit silly. Basically, even though I fully intend to swim nearly every day year round, I can only buy a swim suit in national chains like Target or Walmart between April and July. All the swimming and grilling things left the stores at the same time of year they did when I lived in the Upper Midwest where it makes sense to take them out at that time. I mean, obviously with the internet and specialty stores, it’s not like it’s impossible to get get swim and grill gear; it’s just less convenient than seems would be sensible for a place with a near permanent warm outdoorsy culture. Swim suits in particular are a bit annoying as you tend to want to try those on. I’ve had to send a few back to Amazon already. Now that I know, next April through July, I will be buying loads as they wear out every few months when you use them very regularly.
My parents told me that when they were here in June, they found a really great discount warehouse with cheap winter clothes. They bought some nice coats at the start of summer. I assume this is because Phoenix chains are made to stock all the same winter things that make lots of sense of most states in the winter, but virtually none here, so the whole stock gets sold off to snow birds at cut prices several months later when most of it’s still left. I left my winter coats in Wisconsin and England respectively and have no regrets about that. If most of the winter is like it was when we got here in January, I will be fine with a light cardigan at the most. If, however, I am very wrong and some kind of snowpocalypse does befall the valley, Target will have me covered with their wide selection of otherwise wildly inappropriate clothing.
For whatever it’s worth, it’s not like I think they should have absolutely nothing in the way of fall or winter attire, but bringing it out several months later and in smaller quantities without getting rid of all the more locally useful clothes would be lovely. Even in other parts of the country, just being a little more locally aware would go a long way to improving the shopping experience.
Here’s the video: