WARRENSBURG – As Warrensburg braces for the first winter storm warning of the year, local businesses are working hard to ensure their customers and employees are prepared.
From frigid temperatures and below-freezing wind-chills, to snow and ice, folks across town have spent the last few days stocking up on winter essentials. Businesses like Hy-Vee Grocery Store, Westlake Ace Hardware and Wood Shed Lumber and Hardware Supply are experiencing heavy traffic and low product as they try to fill the gaps for their shoppers.
Hy-Vee Grocery Store
Hy-Vee’s store director, Michael Hostettler, said that, though the store has seen an uptick in traffic counts over the last two days, he and his team have been able to keep check-out times down and customers’ spirits high.
“Yesterday, we didn’t have more than probably two people in line at any given time,” Hostettler said. “We were able to keep everybody rolling through the front end, so that was good.”
Hostettler said Hy-Vee received a large-scale delivery for nearly every department Thursday morning, which he said was helpful in ensuring each shopper was able to get every item on their list in one place.
“We received a delivery (for) almost every single department to start off our day, so it helped us springboard to be in pretty good shape yesterday,” Hostettler said. “I think people were leaving other stores to come to us to be able to find what they need on the shelves and then try to get through a little more quickly.”
To account for the storm, Hostettler said he and the store staff put in their orders ahead of time to make sure groceries were delivered and available for customers coming in to stock up. Though Hy-Vee gets several deliveries a week for each department, Hostettler said they increased their order total by up to 50% this week.
“We were able to make sure those trucks landed on a day to replenish us ahead of one of the busiest days– yesterday and today,” Hostettler said. “We didn’t have to adjust a lot because (of where) our delivery dates fell, but we’re able to manually increase those orders ourselves to make sure (we) are able to stock the shelves and have some backstock to help get us through.”
As temperatures drop, Hostettler said he and other team members are working together to coordinate carpools, adjust schedules and manage staff concerns to keep employees safe.
“If there’s somebody who needs to leave early because of a coming storm or somebody who lives in town and just (needs) a ride, there are several people with dependable vehicles that go and pick people up,” Hostettler said. “That ensures that we can take care of our customers and also take care of our employees.”
Though Warrensburg is forecasted to receive anywhere from 4 to 6 inches of snow, Hostettler said Hy-Vee’s doors will remain open to the public, no matter what.
“Even during bad weather, there’s always someone who needs something, so we always want to make sure that we’re available for our customers,” Hostettler said. “We’re there for the community. We realize we’re a vital source (for) what people need, so it’s very important to us to be able to stay open and take care of our customers– the customers that take care of us.”
Westlake Ace Hardware and Wood Shed Lumber and Hardware Supply
Over at Westlake Ace Hardware, general manager Paul Benson said he and his team have been fielding cold-weather questions from customers looking for tips to stay safe this weekend.
Best practices on pipe protection, salting do’s and don’t’s, what to do if the power goes out– these are all concerns Benson said he and his staff are happy to address for folks coming in for a visit.
“(We’re making) sure we’re doing everything that we can, greeting every customer and kind of ensuring them that it’s not going to be the end of the world,” Benson said. “That we’re going to make it through this. (We’re just making) sure that we can help them be as prepared as they can be for this weather coming up.”
Benson said stock is lower than usual given the amount of people who have stopped in to pick up cold-weather gear. From socks and mittens to car-scrapers and sleds, Benson said Ace Hardware is selling out of a lot of products.
Even so, Benson said there are no current plans for store closures. As long as it’s safe enough for him and his team to get to work, Benson said Ace Hardware’s doors will remain open to the public.
“We kind of play it by ear (to) make sure we can stay open to help facilitate those last-minute customers,” Benson said. “If it’s safe enough to come in and get more of what (the customers are) needing– say their shovel broke, or they (didn’t) have enough salt– we (can) be there to assist them.”
This sentiment was echoed by Wood Shed Lumber and Hardware Supply’s store manager, Kimberly Beilfuss, who said there’s almost a zero percent chance the store will close its doors due to snow.
“I mean, we’re here for the community,” Beilfuss said. “We intend on being open during normal business hours.”
Beilfuss said business has been booming over the past couple days. Even with an increase in stock on the sales floor, Beilfuss said product is flying out the door.
“We’re definitely seeing a significant increase in foot traffic today,” Beilfuss said. “It’s been hopping.”
Whether folks are looking to purchase a space heater for their home or a snowsuit for their toddler, Beilfuss said she and her team are ready and available to assist each customer with care.
“We’re just here and prepared to help out any way that we can,” Beilfuss said.
Hasina Shah can be reached at 660-747-8123.
