Massive winter storm could keep grocery shelves empty even longer

Grocery stores had already been struggling to keep their shelves stocked because of supply chain delays and Omicron sickening workers. Now, markets across America are bracing for a major winter storm that could keep store shelves empty even longer.

A significant winter storm headed toward the Midwest, South and East Coast over the long holiday weekend is poised to deliver another blow to grocery sellers struggling to keep enough supplies of everyday essentials — milk, juice, produce, soups and meats — in stock.

Severe weather events are notorious for triggering grocery stockpiling by consumers, said Miguel Gomez, Robert G. Tobin professor of food marketing at Cornell University's Dyson School of Applied Economics.