National and International chain stores

I've long had an issue with UK-wide stores. I often look in despair through TESCO for a long-sleeved t-shirt for my child only to find they are already onto sleeveless summer dresses because somewhere very far away from Glasgow, it is already summer. I am also more than amused each World Cup when the local TESCO or ASDA is surprisingly left with an entire shelf of unsold Come on England mugs and t-shirts. Last year's Royal wedding memorabilia didn't seem to fly off the shelves in the expected quantities either for some reason. None of the bunting for street parties sold out! I came across another climate issue last weekend. The local B&Q was trying to flog rhubarb that had obviously been pre-grown further south. I'm not sure B&Q's happy rhubarb would have enjoyed being planted out in my garden where the rhubarb is only just 

beginning to bud at surface level. It'd probably have died of shock in our colder climate.


Things aren't always disadvantageous though as I found out in H&M ten days ago. As Europeans, my kids are crazy about Barbapapa. It was popular here when I was a kid in the 70s but didn't make a comeback this century as it has done everywhere else in Europe. H&M is a Europe-based store so didn't bother researching that and is currently trying to sell everything branded with Barbapapa, but because the kids don't know it, no one wants it! The result is that they are now having to discount it heavily. Imagine my girls' delight when we realized the Barbamama dresses had been reduced from £9 to £2.99! From an international selling perspective, it's crazy that market research is no longer done, but from a personal perspective, we were definitely winners this time round!