
Amidst stories of lower footfall and unexpected closures due to poor weather, one sports retailer has turned the recent spell of snow and sub-zero temperatures into a profitable positive.
Says Joe Forte of Joe Forte Sports in Haddington, East Lothian: “I have managed to keep the till ringing through the bad weather due to an increase in sales of winter baselayer product and Hi-Tec boots.
“Deliveries have been slower, but we just have to accept these situations.”
However, Forte rues the missed opportunity of selling more sledges and wellington boots.
“If only we could wipe the dust off the crystal ball to allow us the confidence to stock more essential winter products,” he told Sports Insight.
Further south, Samantha Hale, managing director of running specialist Advance Performance, which has two outlets in Peterborough and Cambridge, says business hasn’t been hugely affected by the adverse weather conditions.
She explains: “There has been a constant flow of customers filtering through the door, and on the days that have been really bad, it has started off quiet but has picked up as the road conditions improved later on in the day with our late opening hours.
“Mail orders are normally a big part of our custom over Christmas and we have seen a big drop in orders placed online, obviously due to the unreliable service that is being provided by our postal delivery services.
“However, in relation to last year, we have still had an increase of 96 per cent of sales on our website, which has been significant towards our success these last few months.”