By ROBERT LINNEHAN | The Voorhees Sun
Like the swallows returning each year to San Juan Capistrano in California, each summer thousands of South Jersey residents instinctively flock to the white sandy beaches of the Jersey Shore. With this mass migration each summer, local businesses feel the pinch of fewer and fewer shoppers during the months of June July and August.
Economic Development Director Mike Marchitto said the township is
employing a number of different strategies and events this summer to help bring in more shoppers — and maybe just as important — more businesses into Voorhees. The summer months do typically feature a drop off in retailers in the township, he said.
The summer Twilight Series is always a big draw for the township, Marchitto said, bringing in thousands of visitors throughout the summer to watch the free concerts at Connolly Park. Local businesses set up booths at the park and sell merchandise to the visitors, he said, or give out free information to interested retailers and get their names out to the public.
“The Twilight Series is great. Businesses are there locally, setting up their booths, meeting the public and greeting them. They help raise awareness about their own business,” he said. “In a slow economic period, I can see that things are picking up. We actually have, I was amazed at this, we have more businesses opening up right now than usual. Some don’t make it, but people are looking to open businesses and they’re choosing Voorhees.”
The Economic Development Committee is also putting together a complete listing of the more than 1,200 businesses in the township, Marchitto said, and creating a booklet that will be sent out to residents of Voorhees. The booklet will contain contact information for the various businesses, a brief description of what they do, and their address.
Ultimately, the list will also be put up online, he said.
“The goal is to put that on the Internet, get that printed and published, out to the homeowners in town so they can support their local businesses,” Marchitto said.
Maria Umbriac, a media relations officer for the Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, agreed with Marchitto and said the Voorhees Town Center typically shows a slow down of visitors during the summer months.
Umbriac said the shopping mall does see increased activity during prolonged heat waves. During these times shoppers are just looking to come some place to cool off and get some shopping completed, she said.
“As the temperature goes up we’re seeing a lot of shopping go up. More shoppers come into the mall when it’s hot,” she said. “The mall has also been hosting events throughout the summer to draw in additional crowds.”
