'Surge in sales' of sheepskin style boots

08/01/2010

sheepskin style boots, scarves, earmuffs and warm coats have all been flying off the shelves this week thanks to the cold snap.

Sheffield newspaper The Star reported that items have been selling out in South Yorkshire because people are panic buying.

A spokesperson from Meadowhall shopping centre Richard Pinfold said there had been a "surge in sales" in items such as sheepskin style boots.

Other businesses reported large amounts of warm clothing being sold - such as hats, gloves and snow shovels.

Some desperate shoppers have been buying cat litter as a substitute for grit in a bid to clear the region's slippery surfaces, the publication claimed.

One local shop owner said the sales increase seen by retailers could be down to the fact that people are not going to work because of the weather and therefore have time to shop.

Temperature forecasts for Sheffield tomorrow (January 9th) do not reach above freezing and may hit minus four degrees Celsius throughout the day, according to the Met Office.