At Benito's Ace Hardware in Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood, customers lined up out the door after word spread that the store had salt back in stock. Bags disappeared quickly.
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"Taylor Swift tickets are easier to get than salt and shovels right now," said Steven Schatz of Penn Valley.
Shoppers reported similar scenes throughout the region. "It's a mob scene in there," one customer said.
Others said stores were limiting purchases.
READ MORE | Winter Storm 2026: Why is there a salt shortage?
"They're only allowing one bag of salt per person," said Andy Szekely of Lansdale.
Jeff Muth of Do It Best in Wayne said demand surged as soon as a delivery arrived.
"We got a truck at 6 a.m. of ice melt, and by 7 a.m., people were pulling in. By 10:34 a.m. -- I just did the math -- 1,000 bags got out of here," he said.
Many stores were sold out by midday, leading shoppers to visit multiple locations in search of supplies.
"Been to a couple stores, this is probably the third one I've been to," said Daniyal Chowdhury of Manayunk.
Stanley's Hardware in Roxborough received a shipment around 1 p.m. Within an hour, the last 50-pound bag had been purchased.
Staff then broke down larger bags into 10-pound portions, which also sold out.
For those encountering empty shelves, employees suggested some alternatives.
"Sand, cat litter, water softener, all stuff that has been going," said Alex Jaconski of Stanley Hardware. "People are looking for alternatives, and those are kind of the popular choices."
Benitos Hardware expects additional shipments to arrive Saturday morning for shoppers still searching for supplies.