NEW YORK, Dec. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Stop & Shop Supermarket executives report that baking supplies are racing out the stores this afternoon, suggesting that New Yorkers are planning to use the upcoming "Pre Christmas Blizzard of 2009" as an opportunity prepare holiday cookies and cakes.

"Pre storm sales activities suggest that consumers are preparing to hunker down and bunker in," stated says Stop & Shop's district manager Bob Hempson. "Based on the sales we are seeing now sugar, flour, yeast and the like are moving out at sonic speed. In addition, comfort foods such as bacon, eggs, soup, bread, milk, hot chocolate mix, waffles, pancakes, ground beef, macaroni and bottled water are becoming huge sellers as word spreads of the size and intensity of this storm."

Finally, Hempson says that many shoppers are stocking up on weather related essentials such as shovels, rock salt, flashlights, batteries, windshield washer solution and warm weather gear such as hats, gloves, mittens and scarves. "These items don't surprise us. What is unprecedented is the amount of baking supplies because this is an historic weekend storm just prior to Christmas. As a result, we predict diet guides will be big sellers for us after New Year's."

    Stop & Shop reports:

    Milk and Bread sales are up                            50%

    Soup sales are up                                      30%

    Baking aisle needs are up                             100%

    Ground Beef & Bacon are up                             30%

    Soda, Snacks and Beer Sales are up                     30%

    Battery & Flashlight sales are up                     100%
    (It is projected that each store will sell 300-
     400 packages of  batteries in advance of the
     storm)

    Bottled Water up                                       40%

    Rock Salt, snow shovels and windshield washer
     fluid are up                                         400%

SOURCE Stop & Shop Supermarkets