As snow and frigid temperatures sock in much of the region, items ranging from household staples to sleds
are flying off area store shelves.
Jackie Siekmann, a spokesperson for Kroger, said that during such conditions people tend to get "the
French Toast Syndrome," meaning they purchase "the bread, the eggs, the milk."
Ingredients for chili, such as ground beef and tomatoes, chicken noodle soup, bottled water, and such
things as toilet paper, batteries, cigarettes and diapers are popular as well as people hunker down and
settle in for what could be days without going out.
Sherry Baranski, assistant manager at Churchill’s in Perrysburg, noted that over the past two days
"everything" has been selling.
"But we ran out of bread. That was one of them," she said, indicating that there was no real
"rhyme or reason" to what was being bought.
"They’re just buying enough for meals."
Michael Kazmaier of Kazmaier’s Market in downtown Perrysburg indicated that the "core stuff, milk,
dairy, produce, meat" has been selling big.
In addition, "a lot of the older customers tend to be buying quick meals, frozen. Obviously rock
salt, things like that."
Monica Koppenhofer, manager of the Bowling Green Meijer store, said that, in addition to the perishables,
customers have been purchasing lots of generators and winter-preparedness items like snow brushes and
battery cables.
"They’re thinking more about things they can keep in their cars in case they’re stranded," she
said.
Additionally, she said their winter clothing stocks had become very limited, with only a handful of coats
and boots remaining. Blankets, including electric blankets, have also been selling, as well as sleds and
winter toys.
However, "the bulk of it is food," including breakfast cereal since the schools have closed and
children are at home.
With the staples out of stock at some stores, shoppers took to gas stations to prepare. In addition to
fueling up, customers bought bread, milk and beer to stock up before the storm hit.
With a Level 3 snow emergency beckoning most to stay home, plow drivers made up most of the customer
contingent on Monday, mostly filling up on fuel according to one local gas station. The supply of
regular unleaded was expected to hold up for a day or two, but the station was out of diesel fuel
because of a delivery delay caused by the weather conditions, the manager said.
A representative at Ben Franklin in Bowling Green noted they have been selling yarn and craft items
because of people staying indoors.
Carol Tolles, manager at Ace Hardware, said that "snow shovels and the heat tape (for home pipes) is
already gone, and the weather stripping for drafts and cover the windows."
Kelly Wicks of the Grounds for Thought coffeehouse downtown said that while business was a little quiet
Monday morning to start due to the snow emergency, as the sun came out in the city, people began to file
in and get their coffee.
"We’ve seen this trend, not just with the storm but with inclement weather days. People tend to
crawl out of bed a little bit later" but then swing by for a couple cups.