#16 Postby Rieyeuxs » Sat Jun 05, 2004 3:24 pm
Being new to Charleston (and hurricanes, I'm ex-Kansas-tornados I know about...) I had and interesting reaction last year...
I work for a major retail chain that just put up a new store about a mile or so from the beach. When the threat came last year, we were immediately cleaned out of all batteries, water, radios, propane, camping supplies, walkie-talkies, etc. a week before any potential landfall. In conference-calling with our headquarters, interestingly enough, they don't overship more product in once we're out. I was surprised to note that the DC's will only make minimal shipments before the hurricane's landfall. Instead, emergency supplies are pre-loaded onto trucks at our distribution centers and HELD, until after landfall. Then the trucks are sent to the neares surrounding stores of the landfall area.
I was surprised at first and when I questioned it, I found that our company (like many other big chains) are self-insured. When a hurricane is immenent, the company's goal is to sell through the inventory of the stores in the area that could potentially be damaged or destroyed by a landfall hurricane, thus reducing potential "losses". Also, by holding on to emergency supplies at the DC's, they can direct them to the areas that will truely need them instead of randomly shipping stores based on customer "scare-buying" depleation of inventory. Since the exact location of the landfall isn't known until usually 24-48 hours out, which then is too late to ship, unload, and sell, since the employees will be evacuating too, the supplies are directed to the effected area afterwards.
Point is, after all that rambling, is that if you aren't prepared now, don't expect to be buying your supplies even a week before the storm. We aren't the ony retail chain that does this, and if you're caught unprepared, you truely will be taking your chances before a hurricane hits.
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