How’s business at the shore this summer? We hit the Ocean City boardwalk to find out

OCEAN CITY, New Jersey (WPVI) — With the summer months winding down, Action News hit the Ocean City boardwalk to see how business has been so far.

“The summer’s been pretty good so far, if not a little bit better than last year,” said chef William Moffitt.

Workers at Del’s Grill say they’re as busy as ever, serving up cheesesteaks and sandwiches.

But folks at some shops say while they’re having a good summer, they’re noticing subtle differences from last year.

“All the big weekends we seem to be really crowded and then during the week might be a little less people,” said owner Brent Hanley. “But the people that come in seem to be in a good mood and happy. It seems like a pretty good summer right now.”

At the Islander boutique, sales are slightly down from last year.

Managers say they’re still having a good summer, but suspect people are spending their money elsewhere.

“I think the price of food, the rental properties are high, so I think that’s a big factor in people coming down and spending money,” said manager Merle Harper.

The Action News Data Journalism Team looked at Airbnb prices for this summer compared to last year.

In Cape May County, daily rates in Wildwood are up 30%. Ocean City is up 14% and Cape May is up 13%.

In Atlantic County, Airbnb prices in Atlantic City are up 24%, Brigantine is up 20% and Margate is up 12%.

But rental prices aren’t up everywhere.

Data shows Airbnbs in Stone Harbor, Avalon and Ventnor were among those that saw a slight decrease.

Cape May County tourism officials say that based on survey responses and talking with local hotels, people are booking shorter stays as a way to cut back.

“We used to have a high percentage of people who stayed a week or more and now we’re seeing that we’re kind of losing that because of the economy,” said Cape May County Director of Tourism Diane Wieland.

Businesses also say weekends into the fall can be very lucrative and are looking forward to the shoulder season, hoping the weather cooperates.