BALTIMORE–While the snow storm affecting the Northeastern United States caused a surge in grocery store sales, many supermarkets are having trouble keeping their shelves stocked as consumers purchase more and delivery trucks are unable to travel the unplowed streets.
A Baltimore Sun article noted numerous grocery stores are closing early after suppliers missed deliveries and employees cannot get to work. Record-breaking snowfall occurred last weekend and another storm is expected to add another foot or more of snow, leaving retailers to try to restock during a current brief break in the weather, reported the Baltimore Sun.
The Star-Ledger article reported grocery stores tend to do well in bad weather, as consumers overeact and buy more groceries than necessary. The paper, located in Newark, N.J., said radio and television announcers, who urge residents to hunker down and stay off the roads, help boost grocery store business. They added some stores saw as much as a 50 percent spike in sales on Friday before a storm dumped 18 inches of snow.
Big items on Shoppers’ lists included milk, bread, eggs, snow shovels and flashlights.