The entire Pella community missed out on what is typically the busiest time of the year as it relates to activities and tourism–including Tulip Time, and closures related to COVID-19 had a significant impact on businesses throughout the community.
Pella Area Community and Economic Alliance Executive Director Karen Eischen says they partnered with The Retail Coach, who analyzed foot traffic comparisons in the community from January through April 2019 to the past four months for local businesses, breaking it down by different sectors and metrics.
An analysis of the downtown showed the number of monthly visits was up 17% and 19% in January and February, but state-mandated closures of businesses drove numbers down, with March having 31% less and April showing 73% less visits overall — there were approximately 250,000 reported in April 2019, and only 69,000 this year.
Eischen says while the data is preliminary, it gives business owners and community leaders a broad picture of the impacts of the COVID-19 related closures.
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Downtown comparison:
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Dining:
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Grocery:
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Healthcare:
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Superstores (Walmart):
