Need salt? Good luck — so does everyone else

YOUNGSTOWN

The 50-pound yellow bags of rock salt steadily started to diminish from their pallets at the Home Depot in Austintown in the early afternoon Tuesday.

Customers such as Linda Reed of Youngstown, who searched for two weeks to find salt, stocked up on the item that — at this point — has a high demand and low supply.

For the icy areas around her house she bought four bags “just in case I can’t find it again,” she said.

Home Depot, Lowe’s, Giant Eagle and other stores all have varying inventories of rock salt.

Home Depot in Austintown got a shipment of rock salt Tuesday. The 15 pallets are expected to last until Saturday.

“Severe weather this winter has caused a high demand for salt, ice melt, shovels and other winter supplies in numerous markets,” said Matt Harrigan, a spokesman for Home Depot. “Some stores can sell through items temporarily, but our supply chain and merchandising teams work closely together to replenish them.”

Home Depot in Boardman also had an emergency order in place Tuesday.

Lowe’s in Boardman is expected to get its shipment of rock salt today.

Several Sparkle markets in the area, including the Cornersburg and South Avenue locations, were sold out of rock salt Tuesday.

Nemenz IGA in Struthers also was sold out.

Giant Eagle locations had varying amounts throughout the region.