MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – While it might have felt cold on Thursday, the long stretch of mild temperatures and no snow have had winter retailers feeling the heat to make up for lagging sales.
At Midwest Mountaineering, shoppers just aren’t in the mood to buy winter gear.
“It’s the ‘brown yard syndrome,'” said manager Rudi Hargesheimer. “If it’s no snow in your own back yard, you just don’t think about winter.”
The outdoor conditions have fewer shoppers buying winter coats, hats and boots.
So, the store is improvising by having their after-Christmas sale early.
“Well, we need the help of snow or discounted prices, so right now, we’ve got discounted prices,” Hargesheimer said.
And it’s working.
The sale had business up on Thursday, with shoppers jumping on deals.
Barbara Murphy picked up a few things up for her kids.
“I’m a big fan of local shopping rather than online shopping, and I wanted to come, so it’s a bonus that there’s a sale for me,” she said.
For now, the discounts are helping the shop make up for the warm start to the season, but the crew is still hoping for a real Minnesota winter.
“Snow, before Christmas, and all through the rest of the winter…we need the snow,” Hargesheimer said.
As for the subzero temperatures, he said those aren’t needed.
