Via NPR’s Planet Money blog, retailers in Portland have been walloped by more than a week of snow and ice that basically shut down the city. Laura Gunderson writes in today’s Oregonian:

First, recession-conscious consumers didn’t want to spend.

Then, as panic surpassed penny-pinching, the weather benched would-be shoppers with less than two weeks before the holidays.

Now, folks who want to shop are struggling to find open stores and, in some cases, the items they need.

The weather and road closures have also made shipping a nightmare, apparently. Any Portland business owners out there — drop us a line and tell us how you’re coping with the storm.