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NEW YORK (AP) — For some businesses -- like the car dealers who've seen sales slump in January and February -- the harsh winter has been rough.
But for others, the frigid weather means more cold, hard cash.
Ace Hardware is having its best winter in more than a decade for snow blower and shovel sales. Waterproof boots are on a long backorder at L.L. Bean.
And with more Americans stuck indoors, customers are ordering up more meals and arranging to have their laundry picked up through the website and smartphone app of Delivery.com. Sales at the company, which operates in major metro areas, rose 30 percent in January and February from the year before.
When people do venture out into the cold, they stock up on products that protect against frigid temperatures. Carmex, which is known for its yellow jars of lip balm, says its sales are up 9 percent over the past eight to ten weeks from the same period a year ago.
Pawz Dog Boots, which makes colorful rubber booties that safeguard paws from salt and snow, says its sales in North America have more than doubled.
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