MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) – If you’ve been out shopping recently, you’ve likely seen winter supplies.
UP outdoor outfitters are hoping for a better winter this year after last year’s lack of snow and unseasonably warm weather.
“Even when the weather isn’t great, we have a lot of people in this area who are outdoorsy and active, so they try to get outside no matter what the weather,” said Josh Brindle, a salesman at Sport Rack Market.
UP businesses are already preparing for the transition to winter: At Sport Rack Marquette, the wall-to-wall rows of bikes will soon be replaced with skis, which will happen over the next three to four weeks, while other stores have already switched over their inventory.
“They might not be ready to commit to a purchase yet, but if they don’t put it out there, it’s kind of hard to talk to them,” said Todd King, co-owner of Down Wind Sports, “so the buying cycle for winter products kind of starts now.”
King said this year is unusual after last year’s mild winter.
“It’s been bad for everybody. We’re a small store, so I think we’re able to turn things around a little quicker,” King said.
So we have a surplus of some products, but this is part of our plan to mitigate the challenges of the past year.
“That’s built into our buying strategy so we’re not wasting money by buying more of something that didn’t sell,” King said, “so we’re just holding back on some items.”
Looking ahead to the coming months, businesses say they have no choice but to focus on what they can control. Still, they’re hopeful for a better winter.
“We’ve had a couple of really cold weeks with decent snow, and normal snow that we can groom regularly,” Brindle said. “We have some customers who ski six times a week when the snow is good, and we have just as many who bike. They love being outside as much as possible.”
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