Damage, delays and power cuts: three storms in one week cause chaos for UK retailers

Local stores reported damage and delivery challenges due to the three storms that battered the UK last week.

Nisa and Booker warned customers’ deliveries would be delayed in the regions hardest hit by Storm Eunice on 18 February.

Vince Malone, of Premier Tenby Store & Post Office in Pembrokeshire, said: “We couldn’t get stock in from Booker or local suppliers. It also affected the nearby supermarkets, and that had a knock-on effect on our own demand.”

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Better Retailing understands newspaper publishers and wholesalers held an emergency meeting on Friday.

The planning paid off, with stores and official metrics reporting most received their deliveries on time, despite dangerous road conditions.

However, many stores were left with repair bills. Trude Mian was behind the till of her partner’s Londis store in Knowle, North Devon, when the fascia was ripped off.

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She told Better Retailing: “It was scary – we heard a bang and then the front sign fell, blocking the entrance. Luckily, no one was hurt, but the store had to be closed for a full day while maintenance was being done. We were able to open on the Saturday after calling a tradesman.”

Christine Hope, of Hopes of Longtown in Hereford, was one of thousands of stores to lose power, but still traded successfully. She said: “The generator helped keep the store open. We had an increase in footfall and sales, with more people relying on our store over the weekend.”