Snow and freezing weather change Warminster's shopping habits

Snow and freezing temperatures are changing the habits of Warminster shoppers and providing a challenge for stores to keep up with customer demand.

 

The town’s largest supermarket, Morrisons, reports a run on flour as people are doing their own baking and The Edinburgh Woollen Mill has sold out of men’s gloves. 

 

Items that sometimes sit in the shop for years untouched are suddenly in demand.  “I could have sold 100 sledges this week,” says Sue Fraser, owner of Warminster’s favourite hardware store, Cordens. “We had a few in before Christmas but they went and we’ve been unable to get any more in.  We had some shovels in this week but they were gone within the hour and  won’t have any more till Wednesday.  Camping Gas stoves are also selling as people are buying them as a standby.

 

Sandy Whitton, general store manager at Morrisons, says we have been extra busy as people don’t travel to other towns in this weather.  Customers are coming in for fresh veg and fruit - but soon we’re going to have limited supplies of carrots and cauliflowers as farmers can’t get them out of the ground when it's frozen."

 

"Otherwise people are buying the staples like bread, sugar, salt, and eggs.  Flour is also selling well as many people are doing their own baking."

 

"Our deliveries which come from Bristol, Swindon and Droitwich have all got through, although sometimes a bit late.”

  

Edinburgh Woollen Mill manager, Maggie Kitley, “We’ve sold out of men’s gloves and had a run on woolly hats and scarves.” 

Focus manager Geoff Hedley says the people of Warminster are made of sterner stuff than other places where their stores have reported fewer customers. “We’ve been surprisingly busy,” he said. “We’ve run out of shovels and we’re also out of grit.  The Council are recommending that people use sharp sand mixed with table salt and we’ve got the sand.  We’re also out of de-icer sprays and anti-freeze.”

 

What nobody is sure is how much longer the cold weather will last or how long it will be before we are back in our usual shopping routines.