HURRICANE SEASON CHALLENGES RETAILERS

CHRISTINE BLANK

OCEAN ISLE BEACH, N.C. (FNS) -- Even as retailers and residents here and along the North Carolina and Virginia coasts cleaned up from Hurricane Bonnie, operators in other parts of the United States faced challenges from other storms last week.

A hurricane stormed through Northern Florida and another headed to California and Arizona.

Hurricane Earl lashed the Florida Panhandle with 80 mph winds and heavy rains at mid-week, but the winds soon died down and minimal damage was expected. Retailers from Mississippi to Florida prepared for the storm when it began its erratic course. First, forecasters predicted that it would hit between Texas and Louisiana, then Alabama and Florida were threatened. "The storm formulated quickly and was erratic as to the direction it was going to go," said Clayton Lester, vice president of advertising and corporate communications, Associated Grocers in Baton Rouge, La.

Associated quickly rounded 87 pallets of bottled water and the large supplies of batteries, sausages, candles and other supplies. "On short notice...it's a real challenge for our procurement staff to be able to do it," Lester said. The storm did not affect any of the Louisiana stores Associated supplies.

At the same time, Hurricane Isis hit the Mexican mainland with 75 mph winds and heavy rains, then the storm headed north along the Gulf of California towards Arizona.

Meanwhile, East Coast retailers were cleaning up from Hurricane Bonnie. Like Earl, Bonnie did not do as much damage as was expected, but did throw the coast's tourist season into a tailspin.

"Right now we're going through a major repair and cleanup, trying to get the beach ready before Labor Day," said Becky Proctor, store manager at the Ocean Air Market IGA in Ocean Isle Beach.

Her biggest concern is not the store's roof damage and flooding in the stockroom; rather it's the effect that Hurricane Bonnie will have on the remainder of the summer tourism season. "People are probably thinking we've had a lot of disruption here, but that's not the case. Most is cosmetic damage," Proctor said.

Proctor has seen a "sharp drop" in customers since the storm, noting that 60% to 70% of her customers are tourists. People who were planning vacations may stay away because rental properties in the area may not be repaired in time, Proctor said.

Much of the area was without water and electricity, but Ocean Air was on a generator. No food was lost, but the store's deliveries were delayed from Wednesday to Friday. Although Ocean Air Market was closed the day the storm hit -- August 26 -- it reopened Thursday afternoon when the evacuation was lifted.

Other stores along the coast sustained minor damage and two Nash Finch distribution centers -- one in Norfolk, Va., and one in eastern North Carolina -- had to close during the storm. At the same time, there was no property damage to its DCs, according to Norman Soland, senior vice president of Nash Finch, Minneapolis, Minn.

"There was very minimal damage-less than what was expected," said Tawn Earnest, a spokesperson for Food Lion. The chain sent a tractor-trailer load of food and cleaning supplies to Wilmington, North Carolina, and assisted in other areas.

NetGrocer, a nationwide Internet home shopping service, donated diapers, bottled water, paper goods and several other items to North Carolina residents affected by the storm.

It also set up a page on its web site, assisting customers in ordering relief packages for victims and listing donation sites. "NetGrocer's warehouses are stocked and available to residents of storm-struck areas where provisions may be in short supply temporarily," said Daniel Nissan, president and CEO of NetGrocer.