A Hyde Park neighborhood resident shovels snow. (Credit: CBS)
Reporting Bob Roberts
CHICAGO (CBS) – After 335 days without an inch of snow, the past 11 days have more closely resembled a typical winter in Chicago, with alternating snow and cold. It’s good news for hardware stores.
Salt, shovels, windshield brushes and heaters ordered in October and November sat neglected through the holiday season and much of January. But at Gordon’s Ace Hardware, at 440 N. Orleans St., manager Cheriee Jackson is breathing a sigh of relief.
“It’s been sitting but now it’s moving,” she said. “It’s moving very well now.”
Jackson said rock salt is in short supply for the first time this winter, but said even if she sells out, she has been assured there is plenty in warehouses and can reorder quickly.
One item is selling that is distinctly out of season: grills. A Valentine’s Day filet, perhaps?
