LI retailers take snowstorms in stride

Many Long Island retailers were taking the snow in stride Thursday, counting themselves lucky that at least two of the past three major snowstorms have come during the week and occurred largely overnight.

"If you have to have snow, you're better off having it during the week . . . " said Mark Wolf, owner of Camp & Campus, a Great Neck girls' and ladies' clothing store. "That this one ended at three in the morning obviously was a plus."

While the immediate aftermath of a storm dampens business, many Long Island retailers say they can make up for it, and, if they're selling items like winter clothing, food, shovels or sleds, sometimes get a boost before snowfall hits and after people dig themselves out.

Very often retailers' sales are not necessarily increasing but are being redistributed, noted Barry Berman, a Hofstra University business professor.

"Clearly, some discretionary sales are lost," he said. "It depends on what you are selling, but it's basically a stockpiling phenomenon where the total sales don't increase but are falling on different days."

Among some of the popular supermarket items bought in the pre-storm rush are milk, bread, eggs, soups, hot chocolate, shovels, rock salt and fire logs, said Joseph Brown, vice president of sales and merchandising for Bethpage-based King Kullen. The last few storms have actually worked out well for King Kullen, he said, noting that workers begin digging out early and carpool to open stores on time.

"Depending on how much snow we have, you can lose it [sales] on the other side," Brown said. "Sometimes it's a win, sometimes a wash and sometimes a bit of a loss, but there's always a rush before."

So far, the clearing of roads and streets has happened relatively quickly, helping retailers capture sales from consumers afflicted with cabin fever, according to merchants and analysts.

"There's extra leisure time that gets added into the equation, and later today people will go out and shop," said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst for The NPD Group, a Port Washington market research firm.

At Sports Authority, there is usually a surge in sales of hats, gloves, boots and sleds, said Chris Berger, Long Island district manager.

But Carlene Afetian, owner of Veronica Rayne, a Northport women's clothing shop, said she usually has low expectations for January and February, and sets her sights on spring. With a good holiday season and strong 2010 sales, she was comfortable closing Thursday to play in the snow with her son. "You just can't fight Mother Nature," she said. "You just have to roll with it."