PORT TOWNSEND – Although several downtown merchants had closed during Monday’s storm, by Tuesday afternoon, it was shopping as usual.
“Things slowed down for a while on Monday and I was thinking about closing early,” said Wine Seller owner Joe Euro.
“But I had to wait for a order, and right before I closed, someone came in and bought several bottles of expensive wine.”
This particular customer was stuck in town for an extra night and wanted to buy an expensive gift for his host.
Euro, then, was in the right place at the right time.
Items more responsible directly devoted to keeping people cozy were at a premium after snow and frigid temperatures drapped the region at the beginning of Thanksgiving week.
Swain’s Outdoor manager Grant Cable said that about 75 percent of sales over the last two days have been socks and boots, and the stock is depleted.
There are still plenty of choices, with most sizes of the popular Bogs rain boots available.
Swain’s has lots of empty space, and has put up a sign on the door that says the store is remodeling and not closing.
At Henery’s Hardware, cashier Eddie Forcier said the store is sold out of many items beginning with the letter S.
“By noon on Monday, we didn’t have any salt, snow shovels or sleds,” he said.
“Today we have sand, but no salt to melt the ice.”
Forcier said that he “feels bad” when the store doesn’t have something that people need to keep them warm, and that the store seems to be running out of gloves.
“If we had the kind of stuff that was in Swain’s, we would sell it all,” he said.
Blue Heron owner Christine Lorecki said that she was doing well selling scarves and gloves, but decided to leave all of her merchandise inside rather than putting it out in front of the shop as usual.
The second part of her business, a post office annex, has shown a slight increase because people are less inclined to go up the hill to the main post office.
“There is no doubt that snow affects our business,” said Willam Metzer, owner of William’s Gallery on Water Street.
“If the weather continues it will be good for us, because people who usually shop in Seattle will stay home.”
Metzer said there is another side to that coin.
“If the weather is bad, people in Seattle won’t come here to shop,” he said.
As it gets colder, many people have needed to get a new battery, tires or chains.
Todd Leeper, manager of Les Schwab Tire Center said his store has enough of these items to meet all demand although “we do have a lot of customers coming in.”
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
