Storms prompt more sales of food, equipment

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Area residents flocked to local stores early this week to purchase food, entertainment and snowblower parts before the snow fell.

“Our customer count isn’t even up, but a lot of people are just getting bigger cartloads,” said Richard Hilgemann, assistant manager at Hugo’s. “It’s been hectic. We’ve been running our tails off here.”

Hugo’s called in a few extra cashiers and baggers to help cope with the pre-snowstorm purchasing blitz.

Customers were buying the same things they usually bought, Hilgemann said, but the most popular items were the necessities — bread, milk and toilet paper.

At Kmart, people were focusing on items that would help them cope with being snowed in — snacks and movies.

A few people had bought shovels, too, said Joni Balke, store manager, who expected Kmart to stay open Wednesday despite the storm, provided people could get into the parking lot safely.

Home of Economy sold one snowblower Thursday, but otherwise saw fairly average traffic for the time of year, said Robert Hallberg, store manager.

“We sold snow shovels and snowblower belts and parts,” said Roxanne Wiest, lead cashier at Tractor Supply Company, adding that customers were also stocking up on pet food before the snow began.

On Sunday, the store saw about half again its average sales, Wiest added.

She expected TSC to be open Wednesday as well — partly because Wiest lives just two blocks from the store and could walk there in order to keep it open.

Alfred Dickey Library and Stutsman County Library announced that they will be closed today.

For current information on local closings and delays, visit www.james townsun.com.

Sun reporter Kari Lucin can be

reached at 701-952-8453

or by email at

klucin@jamestownsun.com

Tags: local news, news, weather, winter