Ice salt and shovels are flying off the shelves at Des Moines stores
Linh TaAs soon as Brett Bagby ends one phone call at the hardware store he manages, the next call is already ringing in.
Snow disheveled Iowans were blowing up the phones at Porter Do It Best Hardware and Rental in Des Moines on Tuesday, asking to buy snow blowers and for snow removal equipment repairs.
Other Iowa winter necessities, like ice melt and shovels, were quickly going out the doors as people prepared for round two of snow-mageddon in the metro.
"It was slow to start off, but people are scrambling to buy now," said Bagby, the store manager said. "Business is doing good."
That's the consensus from hardware stores across the Des Moines metro.
The balmy start to the year left retailers staring at palettes of unsold ice melt and untouched shovels.
But it's quickly turned around as Des Moines residents prepare for at least 6-8 inches of snow late Tuesday night on top of the 4-8 inches that already fell in central Iowa over the weekend.
Customers at the Park Fair Ace Hardware in Des Moines have already purchased so much ice melt and shovels, the store ran out, said owner George Harvey.
Two days ago, the store received a shipment of more than 100 bags of ice melt. By the time Harvey signed the receipt for the shipment, he said 20 bags had been sold.
"We're down to zilch," Harvey said.
Shovels are also quickly going out the door. Harvey tries to keep 50 in stock and said he even doubled that number for the last order, but those are already gone as well.
"We get our stock in and I think that we’re loaded," Harvey said. "In a couple days, we’re empty again," Harvey said.
Harvey's store isn't alone in the salt shortage. Eastern and southeast Iowa stores were reporting shortages last week after the area was buried in snow from storms, according to The Gazette.
But even though they had to turn away 10 customers on Tuesday, Harvey said by Wednesday another shipment of salt and shovels will make it to the store.
"It's good problems to have," he said.