A powerful storm is sweeping across parts of the United States ahead of Black Friday, and retailers are gearing up for the impact on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
The wintry mix has already brought snowfall and hurricane-force gusts to the West, with a record-breaking bomb cyclone pummeling the West Coast on Tuesday. The National Weather Service reported blizzard conditions that also traveled through southwestern Oregon and areas in Colorado.
Dardano’s in Denver reported that, due to yesterday’s snow, the store closed its doors. However, it reopened this morning to typical foot traffic.
According to the NWS, some regions in Nevada and Utah as well as southern Idaho and South Dakota are under weather advisories.
In Rapid City, S.D., SoleMates reported slower-than-expected visits to the store as a result of the snowfall and cold temperatures, but it hasn’t been forced to close. More snow, the retailer said, is expected in the area over the weekend.
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Heavy snowfall is also forecasted for much of Wyoming after an already brutal cold spell kicked off the week. The city of Cheyenne on Monday discouraged unnecessary travel during the course of the storms.
Eric Wetzel, owner of Brown’s Shoe Fit in Cheyenne, Wy., said it closed on Tuesday due to the storm, but he didn’t expect the upcoming freeze to impact business.
“It’s been fine [today]. It doesn’t affect us as much in Wyoming since we are pretty hardy and used to the weather,” he said. “It definitely slowed us down yesterday, but we are actually on track to make it up today.”
Marching into the upper Midwest, heavy snow and high winds have touched down at the Twin Cities and are expected to pummel the Great Lakes and New England tonight.
Rudolph’s Shoe Mart in Sioux City, Iowa, closed two hours early on Tuesday at 6 p.m. “Traffic today hasn’t been super-great; it’s about as normal as it can be,” said sales associate Liz Peterson. “I’m not sure [the weather] has deterred people from coming in or not. It was slow this morning but picking up since people are getting brave and starting to come out [this afternoon].”
On the other hand, sales associate Logan Toftner at Minneapolis’ Nokomis Shoes reported that the store was busy today despite the city being hit with about 6 inches of snow. “It has been pretty steady foot traffic, like most days,” he said. “I don’t think there is anything else big coming [weather-wise].”
Some residents in Illinois, however, were given a high-wind warning to start the busy Thanksgiving Day.
At Alamo Shoes in Chicago, sales associate Jakari Battie said the city has been hit with some rain, which has not impacted traffic. Today marks a casual shopping day for the shoe store, he added, as customers prepare for the upcoming holiday.
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