Hurricane Helene Disrupts Florida Supply Chain for Ports and Couriers
Hurricane Milton made its exit from the Florida panhandle with less damage than initially expected. Still, shoe retailers in the state took caution and readied their stores and employees for the worst case scenario.
The storm, which included several tornadoes, killed at least five people and left 3 million without power, according to a report from the AP. The category 3, which hurricane blew the roof off of a baseball stadium, weakened as it crossed the state.
As of Thursday, several shoe retailers with locations in Florida said they were still assessing the damage, with some keeping their stores closed.
Foot Locker , which recently announced that it would move its global headquarters to St. Petersburg, Fla. in 2025 while maintaining a smaller presence in its current New York City office, told FN in that it “made the important decision to shut down all corporate operations in St. Pete this week and advised all employees to take the time they need to prepare themselves, families and loved ones for Hurricane Milton.” Many Foot Locker employees are already based in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Prior to the storm making landfall, Foot Locker shared hurricane resources with employees and closed its stores in the affected areas. The chain also noted that it will stand by its employees through this time with financial support if needed through its Foot Locker Foundation.
Rack Room Shoes said that 44 of its stores (mainly located in Florida) had been closed due to Hurricane Milton as of yesterday, following 28 stores closures across North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida due to the impact of Hurricane Helene late last month. In both cases, Rack Room continued to pay employees based on their schedules and ensured that teams were safe.
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In Florida, Rack Room is continuing to assess the damage and is waiting for power to be restored before opening up stores again.
“Our associates are safe and that is what’s most important. As we continue to monitor the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, we will continue to put them first,” said Whit McConnell, vice president of store operations at Rack Room Shoes, in a statement to FN. “A great deal of our footprint at Rack Room Shoes is nestled in the heart of the southeast where natural disasters, especially hurricanes, are likely to occur annually. I’m thankful to have a team that has a system in place when unfortunate events occur and to work at a company that gives selflessly in times of need.”
Rack Room said it previously donated $25,000 to the American Red Cross and added $50,000 to that donation after Hurricane Helene.
The Designer Brands-owned DSW chain confirmed to FN that its associates were safe following Hurricane Milton and said its stores sustained only minor damage from the storm. Via the chain’s recently launched DBI Cares Associate Relief Fund, employees impacted by the storm can get access to tax-free support. DBI is also offering access to counseling and other resources to help employees manage getting through two major storms in a short period of time.
Other major retailers took similar precautions to close stores ahead of the storm. According to Walmart’s website , 166 of its stores and Sam’s Clubs locations were closed as of early afternoon on Thursday.
“Teams from across the company are working to support the communities we call home,” Walmart wrote in a statement online. “We’re incredibly grateful to our associates on the ground preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Milton.”‘
Smaller shoe chains also faced a wave of closures as well. Clearwater, Fa.-based Peltz Shoes closed its six stores on Tuesday. They remained closed through early afternoon on Thursday.
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