LUMBERTON – It was a year ago, when companies that were not considered essential closed their doors for weeks or even months because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the effects can still be felt today.
On March 17, 2020, Governor Roy Cooper issued an executive order banning indoor meals, closing many restaurants in the state and, days later, closing deals that were not considered essential. Of these companies, those associated with the tourism industry in Lumberton felt the biggest effect at the beginning, in part because a large part of the city’s economy depends on traffic leaving Interstate 95.
“Spring and fall are when many travelers use the I-95 corridor,” said Angela Sumner, executive director of Lumberton’s Visitors Bureau. “Much of that traffic has stopped or decreased dramatically.”
The 22 hotels and more than 100 restaurants in Lumberton employ more than 1,200 people in the area, said Sumner. All the effects of the pandemic occurred in April, when hotel occupancy dropped by almost 65% because of requests to stay at home.
“All 22 hotels and more than 100 restaurants saw demand plummet and they all had to follow CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines to operate, which has been very expensive,” said Sumner. “When the stoppages and restrictions started, many of these people were on leave, had their hours cut or were fired, causing many to become unemployed.
Sumner said that the months after April continued to gradually improve, but tourism is still 10% below the previous year, causing even more impact on the industry hard hit by hurricanes Matthew and Florence.
“[T]this was a continuous blow to our industry, ”said Sumner.
The retail sector in Lumberton also saw a major economic blow.
“One of the biggest impacts the pandemic had on Biggs Park Mall was when we had to close all April 2020,” said Chelsea Biggs, mall manager. “All of our stores had the impact of not having sales that month.”
The negative effects for major retail chains hit the target when JCPenny went bankrupt and announced the closure of 145 stores across the country, five in North Carolina. One such store was JCPenny, which housed the Biggs Park Mall for almost 60 years.
“GNC also ended up going bankrupt, but fortunately decided to stay here in Lumberton,” said Biggs.
When the mall finally opened, it followed a new set of guidelines, including stricter sanitation schedules.
“We were sanitizing door handles, bathrooms, etc. every hour before the pandemic, while now we are ensuring that they are cleaned and sanitized every 30 minutes, ”said Biggs.
Retail stores have also been forced to limit capacity, which means fewer customers at the same time.
A positive aspect of the pandemic is that it has forced business owners to become resourceful and creative.
Arnold West, owner of two Lumberton restaurants on Roberts Avenue, said the pandemic had tested many business owners, including himself, in a way that no one could prepare for, but the industry has soared.
“2021 is showing us greater opportunities, greater growth and under pressure is how we move into the future,” said West. “This pandemic has helped us to be creative in abdicating the progress of tourism in Lumberton and we embrace this opportunity to represent our city to showcase our community on the East Coast.”
During the pandemic, the Lumberton Visitors Bureau updated its website, through written subsidies through the Visit NC office and the NC Tourism Industry Association, which gave the Bureau a marketing credit to promote Lumberton more positively in various media. such as Southern Living, Our State Magazine, the NC 2021 Travel Guide, I-Heart Radio ads in the Northeast and a variety of digital advertising.
“The Lumberton Visitors Bureau is currently working on nine music videos that will encourage travelers to ‘Linger Longer In Lumberton, NC!'” Said Sumner.
Some of them debuted during the recent Book ‘In 2021 virtual event, said Sumner.
“These clips will be placed on our website, our YouTube channel, and used for a variety of advertising opportunities,” said Sumner. “The clips show areas of Lumberton, like Historic Downtown Lumberton; outdoor adventure, including canoeing on the Lumber River; accommodation and meals; Mall; meeting in Lumberton featuring RCC (Robeson Community College), Southeastern Agricultural Center and Pennington Sports Complex; and other sporting events. “
The Lumberton Visitors Bureau lists all restaurants in the Lumberton area on its website. During COVID, the Lumberton Visitors Bureau developed a special landing page on the website to identify which restaurants were open, offering takeaway food and / or delivery service offered.
“In the past month, many restaurants have returned to normal, but they still have some capacity restrictions,” said Sumner. “We also saw the start of several small businesses in Lumberton, some of them new restaurants.”
Biggs Park Mall also has new businesses.
“We opened two new businesses this year, Top That Donut Bar and Gold Star Event Center, and we are waiting for the completion of Jersey Mike’s location,” said Biggs. “We hope to be able to announce a new tenant soon for the JCPenney location.”
The stores installed there are “satisfied with business,” said the mall manager.
“Business here at Biggs Park Mall is going well after a few slow months last year due to closings, etc.,” said Biggs. “We are very grateful for all of our loyal customers who come to shop with us.”
The problems remain. Among them are the Canadian border and the two I-95 reception centers that remain closed and / or limited in the services offered, depriving Lumberton of that segment of the market and the opportunity to share information about the community with travelers.
The Bureau maintains close contact with Visit NC, which provided surveys for the three segments of the state: mountains, Piedmont and coastal regions, ”said Sumner.
“Lumberton is considered to be on the Coastal Plains and our region and mountains have maintained a better travel occupation. The Piedmont region relies heavily on sporting events, conventions and conferences, and all of these segments have suffered a major blow, ”she said.
But the fact that vaccines are readily available has given hope to business leaders.
“Because vaccines are readily available, especially for tourism officials, confidence in travel appears to be increasing,” said Sumner.
“If companies continue to take advantage of the resources made available to them through our city, county, state and nation, Robeson Community College, Small Business Center, The University of North Carolina in Pembroke, then other opportunities in Lumberton and Robeson County will continue to grow and prosper, ”she added.
Lumberton Chamber of Commerce Chairman Maureen Metzger also sees a light at the end of the tunnel for business with the vaccine.
“The past year has been difficult for many companies in Robeson County. But now, with luck, with the hospital doing an excellent job of distributing the vaccines, people will begin to feel more confident about shopping and eating at local restaurants, ”said Metzger.