With other shops, if you search an item in shop search and click "buy" it automatically buys the item. With the avalanche emporium it takes you to the shop page and you have to search for the item.

Now that it's been switched back to a regular restocking shop, this shouldn't be a problem. I will say, it was annoying to deal with while during the contest, so I support it being fixed when and if there is a next time.

I actually noticed it while questing after the contest ended.

I haven't gotten asked for any snowballs by any quests since they made the news announcement they were switching the shop back yesterday afternoon. This has happened to you since then? If it's still trying to direct to the shop and not the item, then it's probably unintentional. That is, a bug/problem which might be better suited to those forums...