Tough winter for some businesses

EAST LONGMEADOW, Mass. (WWLP) - No matter how you look at it, this winter's been a colder and snowier winter than last year. Bad for some, good for others.

We've had almost 50 inches of snow this winter, but even some businesses that pray for snow aren't completely happy.

It's been more than two weeks since our historic February nor'easter and there are still plenty of signs left over, with large piles of dirty snow at every corner.

Businesses like Rocky's Ace Hardware rely on winter weather to get people to buy snow blowers, roof rakes and shovels.
    
That one storm at the beginning of February, and the amount of cleanup required afterwards, was a big boost for business.

"Definitely that big storm for business helped a lot. A lot more business than we've seen in a while, but even in between there's been a bunch of small storms," said Scott Robbins from Rocky’s Ace Hardware in East Longmeadow,” said Scott Robbins, the Manager at Rocky’s Ace Hardware in East Longmeadow.

While overall this winter we had a fairly average amount of snowfall, for many businesses that rely on harsh winters, the snow and cold came too little too late.

Kevin Lennon owns Shoenique in Longmeadow, his winter sales depend on winter boots, both fashionable ones and warm heavy duty boots.

For the second winter in a row, sales have been slow because the snow came too late in the season.

"A storm early is always better for us, once they get into January, halfway through January it's like 'oh, we've only got another month and a half left, I'm going to stick it out with whatever boots that I have,’” said Lennon.

Lennon is hoping for a warm-up, so he can start pushing spring sales early to help make up for winters losses.