Little Rock, Arkansas – In advance of a wintry storm moving through the state on Thursday, Little Rock hardware stores experienced a surge in consumers. Some faucet covers immediately sold out.
On Wednesday, Little Rock’s Besser Ace Hardware ran out of them, but they had plenty of other cold-weather necessities on hand. These included pipe covers, kerosene, firewood, and ice melt. The store’s manager, Deborah Kelley, claimed they made an effort to anticipate the demand.
“We kind of got prepared which is why we haven’t run out of everything yet,” Kelley said.
Early on Thursday, Besser and other hardware stores, including Fuller & Sons on Cantrell, shuttered. At noon, the latter did so.
Winter weather, according to Kelley, attracts customers.
“Anytime we have any kind of bad weather coming in, we get super busy,” Kelley said.
In order to prevent pipes from freezing, Kelley advised covering pipes and keeping sinks partially running.