Regina's warm winter not slowing sport shop sales

The streets are dry in Regina this January and there are blades of grass poking through on many lawns – but that’s good news for at least one store in the city.

Brian Sampson owns Track & Trail in Regina, as well as Sunshine & Ski. While he said the warmer weather has his stores hanging on to more insulated jackets than he’d like, it’s great for the running side; there, Sampson said sales are up 152 per cent.

“It doesn’t have to be a lot to sell more running shoes than our normal winter cold. But it just shows you how much people are staying outside, walking, running. I mean, the pavement’s dry. They’re buying -10 C running gear that they normally would have bought in September, October, and they’re going ‘wow, you know. I can do this.'”

He said he’s even moving up an order of shoes for the spring to come in early because they need the product.

Though the snow is negligible in Regina, Sampson said ski and snowboard sales are about average. He said places like Mission Ridge, which makes its own snow, and the mountains, which had record opening snow this year, have helped.

“I have no unhappy customers, they’re all enjoying it,” he said.