Dec 28, 2010

Shoppers return to the stores after brief interruption by Ol’ Man WinterBy Patricia DaddonaTheDay.com

Blizzards have a way of obliterating store revenue, but the minute forecasters say it’s OK to travel, shoppers find their way back to the aisles.

Fierce winds and snow forced malls, department stores and boutiques in southeastern Connecticut to close early Sunday. But Kohl’s in Groton, as well as Target and the Crystal Mall, both in Waterford, reopened at normal times Monday morning, advertising deals.

Smaller shops tended to take a little longer to ease back into the post-Christmas routine but were looking to cater to the shopper who was digging out of snow banks and in hopes of making up for an abridged shopping day on Sunday.

Southern Exposure owner Lu Lupovich said her managers reluctantly closed early Sunday at Olde Mistick Village and at their shop in Old Saybrook as wind and snow hit with full force. But on Monday, with the storm winding down, they reopened at noon.

“Total, fortunate coincidence,” Lupovich said. “That’s when they canceled the blizzard. And we felt that would give people permission to move around.”

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