As the city braces for Nemo, hardware stores report no spike in the sale of storm essentials.
Peter Lee, manager of Platz Hardware in Ridgewood, said dwindling foot traffic in his western Queens store is due to residents recycling the salt and shovels they bought for previous storms.
“The funny thing is we’ve had a lot people prepared already so it’s been a slow day,” said Lee. “We were preparing to have a busy day but so far it’s been a dead. There’s not even traffic outside the store.”
An employee at Metropolitan Lumber & Hardware in Astoria said they hadn’t seen an increase in business before the storm either.
Steven Kandel, of New York Lumber and Building Supply, said his business has seen a steady demand for goods to weather the storm. His business, which supplies salt and shovels to the hotels surrounding JFK International Airport, ran half a dozen deliveries yesterday and four so far today.
“We bring it in by the truckload and we keep selling it,” he said.
Kandel said that while many residents are most likely already equipped, the devastation of Sandy has cautioned many against being unprepared.
“After [Superstorm] Sandy I guess you can’t just put these things on the shelf and say it’s not going to happen,” said Kandel. “It’s certainly scaring a lot of people. I hope it’s not a big storm.”
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