Ocean City businesses prepare for final summer rush over Labor Day weekend

OCEAN CITY, N.J. (WPVI) -- As Labor Day weekend approaches, businesses in Ocean City are gearing up for one last surge of summer visitors before the season winds down.

Often considered the unofficial end of summer, Labor Day marks the beginning of "local summer," a quieter period when crowds thin but the weather remains warm. For local businesses, it's a final opportunity to capitalize on seasonal foot traffic.

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At George's General Store and Ice Cream, staff are working overtime to meet the holiday demand, despite losing about 10 employees who returned to college.

"We over staff, overstock. I've already been putting everything out. Stuffed animals. It's like overload right now, how it looks. Within a few days, it'll be empty," said general manager Kaitlynn Kelly.

Retailers like The Islander Boutique are also hoping for a strong weekend. "It's like the last hurrah, people are coming down, things are on sale," said manager Merle Harper.

She noted that while August has seen an uptick in business, June and July were slower.

"Our numbers are a little bit down. June and July were down a little bit. August has picked up a little bit. I think the storm brought people down to check out the waves and check out the businesses."

Harper believes economic pressures and early summer weather played a role in the slower start.

Michelle Gillian, executive director of the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce, echoed that sentiment. "We were challenged in June. We didn't have one nice weekend. So it put us a little behind the eight ball," she said.

Gillian added that the heat in July and August helped bring visitors back to the beach.

The Ichner family from Long Island, New York, is among the many families soaking up the last days of summer with beach outings and roller coaster rides. "I'm ready for it, yeah," said Jacqueline Ichner. "I'm soaking up the last days, but they love schoo,l so a little bit of structure again is good."

Some locals believe the closure of Gillian's Wonderland Pier at the end of last summer may have impacted foot traffic on that end of the boardwalk.

Despite the seasonal shift, businesses remain optimistic. With fall events on the horizon, many hope to continue drawing crowds well beyond Labor Day.