Winter storms cut into sales and service

During this very snowy winter, schools closed, airlines cancelled numerous flights and local organizations and businesses had to make that tough decision: whether to stay open in hopes of making more sales or serving their members, or to close and wait for the storm to pass.
Business has also been down a lot due to snow, said Ed Long, owner of Majestic Auto Spa on Broadway in Hewlett. “We were open ten days in January, and have around 17 days closed this month already,” Long said. “Last January in 2013, we only closed twice. Last year, we closed 22 days total. We are not attached to travel bans, because we close if it’s snowing or rain, at the first sight of it. We don’t have a closing procedure, and have no make-up days.”
Martin’s Lighting in Cedarhurst has lost some sales due to the snow this year, said Peter Goldstein, owner of the store. “We have been extremely quiet due to this brutal winter weather,” Goldstein said. “January is normally a quiet month in general. We did close early during one storm and there were two other storms where we didn’t open. We conducted normal hours, not making up any lost time. We figure who is coming out in these dangerous driving conditions.”
“Most of our seniors are afraid of the snow,” said Hewlett-Woodmere’s Center for Adult Life Enrichment, Georgiana Wolfson, executive director. “Overall it’s been a slow month, as was January. It’s been the worst, coldest winter for our seniors.”
Wolfson said that program attendance is low in comparison from last year. This year, they are averaging 44 seniors per day, with about 250 total members. Last year, they averaged about 75 people that came daily, with 810 attendees total for the year. When schools closed, they also close. The senior program was open 19 days in January, and will open for a few Sundays to make up the snow days.