Dean spawns weekend sales surge

PHILADELPHIA Retailers in southern Texas received a rush of business over the weekend with the approach of Hurricane Dean but the pre-storm sales surge was short-lived, according to analysts from research firm Planalytics.

During an Aug. 20 Webinar on the potential impact of Hurricane Dean, Planalytics spokesman Evan Gold said retailers like Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Ace Hardware saw a rush of sales over the weekend in markets like Corpus Christi. “There was a sales surge on typical products like bottled water and safety items but that surge is pretty much over now,” said Gold.

He said the media hype around Hurricane Dean also produced a slight bump in sales for retailers in Gulf Coast markets but that most fears have been allayed since the storm veered south toward the Yucatan Peninsula. It’s now expected to lose most of its punch there before continuing West and impacting Mexico and parts of Texas later in the week.

“There will still be lots of rain but the wind shouldn’t be a major factor,” said Planalytics meteorologist Jim Rouiller.

For more information on the 2007 hurricane season's potential impact on the retail industry, please click here.