Flash Report 4 minutesRegister for Free AccessHurricane Florence: Impact on Retailers and Food-Service Operators Estimated at $700 Million Coresight Research September 18, 2018 Executive SummaryHurricane Florence, a 340-mile-wide Category 1 storm, landed early September 14 near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, with hurricane-force winds extending outward up to 70 miles. Florence was downgraded to a tropical depression on September 16 and has led to more than 23 deaths since it made landfall. The center of the depression is moving west from central South Carolina and continued flooding from heavy rain is expected in North Carolina, according to The New York Times. The potential economic impact from lost consumer retail sales is forecast at $700 million, according to weather analytics firm Planalytics. However, businesses in certain categories will benefit from this unfortunate event as residents affected by Florence restore and renovate their homes once the waters recede. After Hurricane Irma hit Florida in September 2017, US comparable-store sales rose by 7.7% at Home Depot and by 5.7% at Lowe’s, according to Thomson Reuters. Both companies reported more than $200 million in hurricane-related sales. Please Login to read the full report. Not a member? To access this content for free, register for a free account. This document was generated for Other research you may be interested in: Three Data Points We’re Watching This Week, Week 23: US Retail Sectors in FocusAmazon Apparel US Consumer Survey 2025: New Shoppers, Deeper Loyalty—InfographicPersonal Financial Sentiment Improves: Weekly US Consumer Sentiment, Week 19, 2025—InfographicUS Store Tracker Extra, January 2025: 50+ Million Square Feet of Retail Space Slated To Close This Year