Winter Hats & Gloves for Retailers: When to Order and What Sells

The first cold morning of the season sends customers looking for a hat and gloves, and they’ll buy them wherever they happen to be. For convenience stores, gas stations, pharmacies and gift shops, winter accessories are a short but very profitable season. The stores that do best are the ones that have product on the floor before the cold snap, not after.

Here’s how to plan your winter hats and gloves, from timing to assortment to display.

When to order winter accessories

Timing matters more in this category than almost any other:

• Early fall (September–October): set your floor. Have winter hats and gloves displayed before the first freeze. Customers start buying as soon as temperatures drop, often weeks before winter officially starts.
• Late fall (November–December): reorder your winners. This is peak season. Watch which styles sell fastest and refill them quickly.
• Winter (January–February): keep it full. Cold-weather demand continues, and a stocked display catches shoppers caught off guard by a storm.
• Late winter: sell through. Reduce reorders as the season winds down so you aren’t storing inventory until next year.

What sells: the core winter assortment

Beanies

Beanies are the core of any winter assortment. Carry a mix for men, women and kids: our Men’s Beanies Shipper (48 pcs), Women’s Winter Hat Shipper (48 pcs) and Junior Winter Shipper (36 pcs) cover the whole family.

Bomber caps

Bomber caps with ear flaps are a favorite with outdoor workers and anyone facing serious cold, which makes them a natural fit for rural stores and truck stops. Start with the Bomber Cap Display or the Camo Bomber Caps Assortment.

Texting gloves

Touchscreen-compatible gloves let customers use their phones without taking their gloves off, which makes them an easy glove to sell. Try the Texting Gloves Shipper (72 pcs) or step up to the Premium Texting Gloves Shipper (72 pcs).

Ear warmers

Low-cost and compact, ear warmers are an easy add-on at the register. The behind-the-neck ear warmer shipper (72 pcs) works well for runners and anyone who doesn’t want hat hair.

Camo and hunting styles

In hunting regions, camo sells. Our True Gear North® Pro Guide Camo line includes the Pro Guide Camo to Orange Reversible Beanies (camo one side, blaze orange the other) and the Winter Pro Guide Camo Accessories Wire Spinner, which puts hats and gloves on one small floor fixture.

How to display winter accessories

• Put them near the entrance. When customers walk in cold, the first thing they should see is a hat.
• Use a spinner or shipper. Wire spinners and floor shippers hold a lot of product in a small space and let customers browse colors and sizes on their own.
• Pair hats with gloves. Placing them together encourages customers to buy both.
• Keep a counter display of small items. Ear warmers and texting gloves fit by the register for last-second sales.

Shippers vs. reorders

Most of our winter items come in pre-assorted shippers of 36 to 72 pieces, with a mix of colors and styles chosen to sell. That’s the easiest way to set up a winter section quickly. Once the season is underway, refill your best styles through reorder items instead of buying another full shipper.

Don’t forget the rest of the year

Hats and gloves aren’t only a winter category. Bucket hats and baseball caps sell all spring and summer, garden gloves sell in spring, and hi-vis head coverings sell year-round to construction and road crews. Browse the full Hats & Gloves catalog to keep the section working in every season.

Frequently asked questions

When should a store order winter hats and gloves?

Aim to have them on the floor in September or October, before the first freeze, and reorder through November and December.

What should a basic winter assortment include?

Beanies for men, women and kids, a glove assortment (including texting gloves), and a few low-cost add-ons like ear warmers. In hunting areas, add camo and blaze orange.

Can I mix winter items in one order?

Yes. Many stores combine several shippers, or add winter items to an order of other front-end merchandise, to reach the $75 order minimum.

Order now for the season

Winter is close. Browse True Gear North® display programs or call us at 866-597-0240 for help picking the right mix for your store.