More than 60 inches of snow have blanketed Marblehead this winter — more than triple last year’s total — and while the drifts are slowly melting (or being dumped in the harbor), the financial impact on local businesses is still piling up.
From Atlantic Avenue to Pleasant Street and Washington Street, shop owners say weeks of snow-choked sidewalks, narrowed roadways and missing parking spaces have kept customers home. For some, the downturn comes on top of economic uncertainty, tariffs and rising costs.
“This winter has been no joke,” Marblehead Sports Shop owner Jason Grazado wrote in a recent Facebook post. “As a result, foot traffic for us has been down over 35%.”
The Sports Shop is at 26 Hawkes St., right off Atlantic Avenue.
The slowdown follows what he described as “a soft December, too.”
“There’s a lot of economic uncertainty,” he said. “People who do come in are buying less.”
Tariffs have had a pretty significant impact, Grazado added, noting he’s paying about 10% in tariffs.
Beyond his own shop, Grazado said he worries about his neighbors.
“At Java Sun, you can’t park on their side of the street for three weeks,” he said. “That’s tough for them. In front of our store, we lose three of the five street parking spaces in the snow.”
‘It might actually end up closing the store’
For Cassie Sturdivant, owner of Mud Puddle Toys, 1 Pleasant St., the winter downturn has been stark. She estimates sales have dropped 25%.
“I know we are about $15,000 down over last year (for January through February),” she said. “That’s significant. It might actually end up closing the store.”
In addition, she had to pay $20,000 in tariffs last year.
Sturdivant says the lack of parking is a problem year-round in the Old and Historic District. In the winter, it’s often snow related. In the summer, spaces are sometimes blocked due to construction projects.
“The town doesn’t prioritize our downtown,” she said.
‘More communication’
Sturdivant would like to see a “more open relationship” between local business owners, town leaders and the Department of Public Works.
“I’d love it if there was a conversation among all of us,” she said. “We don’t want to lose our cute downtown.”
‘Not one customer came in’
Gene Arnould, owner of Arnould Gallery, 111 Washington St., said business is down about 50% compared to January to March last year.
“Not one customer came in yesterday,” he said.
Arnould says the state of the economy may be playing a role, but the snow is having the biggest impact.
“I’ve never seen it quite this bad in terms of those ‘no parking’ signs up for weeks along Atlantic Avenue, Pleasant Street and Washington Street,” he said.
The town placed the signs due to snow banks along the roads.
“There’s a 10-foot mound of snow in a parking lot around the corner forcing pedestrians into the street,” Arnould said. “I don’t know how long that’s going to take to melt.”
‘A ghost town’
Amy Connolly, owner of Local Noon, 92 Washington St., said snow can be good for her ski gear sales — but only if customers can park.
“When it snows and there’s no parking, it is a ghost town,” she said.
“As a new shop owner, I’ve been surprised generally if you don’t support the heart of your downtown district, if you’re not providing a welcoming place for people to visit,” Connolly added. “It reflects poorly on the town. At the very least, make some parking spaces.”
Ask about delivery
Erin McCarthy, owner of Creature Comforts, 52B Atlantic Ave., encourages shoppers to ask local retailers about delivery options.
“You can call or email a store, and almost all of us will say, ‘I’ll drop it off at your house,’” she said. “Or we’ll send you a gift card digitally.”
McCarthy understands the frustration levels of people driving around town. The van for her doggie daycare business got stuck in a snowbank near the Charter School last week.
“Whether it’s plows, town vehicles, contractor trucks or delivery trucks, it’s so hard for these bigger vehicles to get down the roads on a good day,” she said. “There aren’t even two lanes anymore.”
McCarthy says she feels bad for the town’s snow removal crews.
“I would not want to be them,” she said, laughing. “It’s more snow than we’ve had in a decade, and there’s nowhere for it to go.”
‘Spring is coming’
As winter drags on, business owners say they are holding out hope for spring — and for residents to make a conscious effort to shop local once sidewalks clear and parking returns.
“Spring is coming — we can feel it!” Grazado wrote. “When it does — please show up and help keep Marblehead’s downtown retail locations thriving!”
