Local hardware store supplying shoppers as winter storm approaches

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- With several inches of snow forecasted to be on the way for the Louisville area, a local hardware store was the place to be to load up on supplies Saturday and it didn’t take long for shelves to empty.

As customers arrived to Brownsboro Hardware & Paint in Louisville ahead of next week’s snow, its staff was busy helping in anyway it could, even assembling shovels.

“With this ice that we had I think that's affected a lot of people's driveways and it's just harder to shovel through that," store manager Doug Carroll said. “It's a lot going on and people are just trying to get prepared and there is just not a lot of product available.”

Saturday afternoon, the line formed with customers looking for anything they could, whether it be something needed or something for fun.

Sleds, scrapers and shovels constantly needed to be restocked.

“We started a line outside the store to keep people distanced in the store and within about an hour all of our pallets of ice melt were gone,” Carroll said.

Six pallets of snow melt were brought in and each customer was allowed only one bag. All six pallets were empty in less than an hour. The store plans on getting more on Tuesday.

The phones were ringing off the hook asking what supplies were in stock. The snow melt went the fastest.

“The phone has been ringing since 7 a.m.,” Carroll said.

Not everyone was able to get what they came for.

“It doesn't surprise me because everybody is here for the same reason evidently,” Mary Ann Gruneisen, who thought she would be able to get snow melt, said.

The snow melt was all gone by the time she arrived.

Snow shovels at Brownsboro Hardware & Paint — An employee assembles a shovel at Brownsboro Hardware & Paint.

Managers say they have gotten hundreds of calls in the last two days for people looking to get what they need for an amount of snow that has been fairly uncommon over the last couple years.

“People just got to hunker down and get through it,” Carroll said.

Louisville Public Works told WDRB it will release its snow plan of action Sunday morning.