Lead: Residents across South Jersey are rushing to prepare for another round of heavy snow ahead of a weekend storm, but local hardware shops report rapidly dwindling supplies of rock salt and ice melt. Shoppers from Cherry Hill to Camden said they want to avoid being caught short after recent storms emptied shelves, and some stores were sold out by Friday night. Store owners warned that supplier inventories have been hit since early January, leaving limited stock and delayed deliveries. The shortage has pushed customers to seek alternatives and buy up shovels and other tools earlier than usual.
Key Takeaways
- Hardware retailers across South Jersey report severe shortages of rock salt and ice melt; one Westmont Ace location had one pallet left before selling out by Friday night.
- Cartun Hardware in Camden says suppliers placed 22 of 25 salt brands “out for the season,” leaving no calcium mixes, blends, or pet-safe products available from its vendors.
- Local demand has jumped: one owner, David Garrison, says his store has sold about 19 tons of rock salt this season versus roughly 6 tons last year and two bags in the prior winter.
- Planned deliveries have been delayed — four skids on order failed to arrive as scheduled last week, according to a store owner.
- Customers are buying nontraditional items to cope with ice: an entire spring shipment of garden shovels sold out to meet snow and ice needs.
- Residents expressed fatigue and impatience: some said they are “ready for spring” after repeated storms disrupted supplies and routines.
Background
The region has seen multiple snow events this winter, which pushed demand for de-icing products above typical levels. Hardware stores normally carry seasonal reserves of rock salt and ice melt, but an unusually harsh winter combined with supply-chain constraints has strained inventories since early January. Local owners report that many brands are unavailable from wholesalers, a sign that regional distribution did not fully anticipate the surge in purchases.
Municipalities normally balance public road salt stockpiles with retail availability, but when consumer buying spikes ahead of storms, retail shelves can be emptied quickly. Stakeholders include small independent hardware shops that lack the buying power of national chains, suppliers managing limited inventories, and residents—particularly older and mobility-limited households—who rely on accessible de-icing supplies to stay safe. The dynamic has raised questions about preparedness, distribution fairness, and municipal support during consecutive winter events.
Main Event
After forecasts signaled another weekend storm, many South Jersey shoppers headed to neighborhood hardware stores to secure shovels, salt and ice melt. At Westmont Ace Hardware in Haddon Township, owner Bill Getzinger said customers were purchasing in anticipation of shortages; he reported one pallet of ice melt that sold out by Friday night. Deanna Francesconi, who went to Westmont to prepare, told staff she wanted to buy early because stock typically disappears as a storm approaches.
In Camden, Cartun Hardware owner David Garrison said his store has run out of salt entirely. Garrison described ongoing supplier shortages and said wholesalers notified retailers in early January that many brands were unavailable for the season. He estimated that his store moved roughly 19 tons of rock salt this season, a sharp rise from about 6 tons last year and only two bags the winter before that.
Store owners also described logistical hiccups: shipments expected last week did not arrive, leaving orders unfulfilled and customers frustrated. The surge in demand prompted shoppers to buy alternatives—garden shovels and heavier tools intended for spring use sold out as people improvised to manage ice. Owners warned that remaining stock in the region could be exhausted if another round of significant snowfall hits without replenishment.
Analysis & Implications
The immediate public-safety implication is clear: limited access to de-icing materials raises slip-and-fall risks for pedestrians and hampers private property managers and older residents trying to clear walkways. Municipal road crews typically prioritize main thoroughfares, but residents rely on retail supplies to handle sidewalks and driveways. If retail channels cannot meet demand, vulnerable populations may face greater exposure to hazardous conditions.
Economically, retailers facing supply constraints may see both lost sales and reputational damage. Small hardware stores that cannot secure inventory risk driving customers to larger chains or online sellers, while price pressures and opportunistic buying could create temporary spikes in local prices. For owners like Garrison, sustained higher sales volume without reliable replenishment can strain cash flow and customer trust when promised deliveries do not arrive.
On the supply-chain side, the early-January reports that many brands were “out for the season” suggest upstream inventory planning failed to account for the severity and timing of demand. Transport delays, production limits, or allocation decisions by manufacturers could be factors. Local governments may need to consider emergency coordination with suppliers and mutual aid agreements to prioritize deliveries to communities at highest risk.
Comparison & Data
| Season | Rock Salt Sold (Cartun Hardware) |
|---|---|
| Current season | ~19 tons |
| Last season | ~6 tons |
| Two seasons ago | 2 bags |
The table above illustrates the jump in retail salt movement at a single independent store, underscoring how localized demand spikes can overwhelm small inventories. While municipal road salt stocks and large national supplier inventories are not detailed here, the retail pattern signals elevated consumer concern and potential distribution mismatches in the regional supply chain.
Reactions & Quotes
Shoppers and owners expressed frustration and fatigue after repeated storms emptied shelves. Many said they were buying early to avoid being left without supplies if the weekend storm deepens.
“Very sick of it, ready for spring,”
Eric Davies, Cherry Hill resident
Davies’ remark captured a common sentiment among customers who said consecutive snow events have worn on routines and patience. His visit to local stores before the weekend storm reflected wider behavior: many people choosing to purchase early rather than risk shortages closer to the storm.
“People are starting to panic a little bit… making sure they have their shovel, they have their salt,”
Bill Getzinger, owner, Westmont Ace Hardware
Getzinger described a surge in customer traffic and fast-moving inventories. He indicated that even items not traditionally associated with winter—like garden shovels—are being repurposed by shoppers to cope with ice removal.
“Early January, we got notice that 22 of the 25 different brands of salt were out for the season,”
David Garrison, owner, Cartun Hardware (Camden)
Garrison emphasized supplier-level shortages and the resulting empty retail shelves, noting undelivered skids and elevated sales compared with prior years. His account points to upstream constraints rather than purely localized panic buying.
Unconfirmed
- Whether regional wholesale warehouses beyond the retailers cited are experiencing identical brand-wide shortages has not been independently verified.
- Specific causes for the delayed deliveries of the four skids (e.g., transport, production, or allocation decisions) were not confirmed by suppliers at the time of reporting.
Bottom Line
The immediate consequence of consecutive winter storms and constrained supplier inventories is a local shortage of de-icing materials that puts residents and small retailers under stress. Small hardware stores in South Jersey have sold substantially more rock salt this season, but delayed deliveries and supplier out-of-stock notices mean retail availability could remain thin if another significant snowfall arrives.
For residents: buy early if you can, consider safer alternatives for pets and plants, and check municipal resources for assistance with sidewalk clearing if you are vulnerable. For officials and retailers: improving coordination with suppliers, transparent communication about stock levels, and targeted support for high-risk households can mitigate safety risks and reduce panic-driven buying ahead of future storms.