This news shouldn't surprise anyone. Yes, you do want to look your best for hurricanes, but home-improvement stores selling emergency preparation products and clean-up items are likely to benefit the
most from Irene, while apparel retailers and department stores selling non-essential items are likely to take a hit.
Industry analysts say big-box stores, drug stores and supermarkets
all experienced pre-Irene sales surges, with the biggest winners being home centers. In fact, pre-and-post storm sales may aid same-store sales at Home Depot and Lowe's each by 1% point in the third
quarter, per Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. analyst David Schick.
Read the whole story at Chain Store Age »