When BCSC students were released for spring break in 2019, many students were under the impression that they would be returning to school in two weeks. This turned out to be an extended Spring Break that would last through the end of the year.
For the better part of two years, the entire world was thrown into a complete lockdown that had devastating effects on both global and local economies. Columbus was no exception. The strain the pandemic put on the economy made Columbus Chamber of Commerce President Cindy Frey’s job more important than ever.
“Like many communities, we experienced disruptions across various sectors, particularly in hospitality, retail, and small businesses. Manufacturing, a key component of our local economy, faced supply chain challenges and operational adjustments. Some businesses did not survive,” Frey said.
For business teacher Laura Daily, the pandemic made her evolve her teaching to fit the online world.
“My work was shifted to home where I did not have a designated workspace. I had to learn many new technologies to teach (google meets/zoom, recording and posting those sessions, recording and posting my lectures for asynchronous access and completion) which took a lot of time and caused frustration,” Daily said.
As students had to adapt to new learning environments, businesses around Columbus were having to approach sales differently.
“The very first week of the shutdown, we launched a series of virtual workshops and webinars to provide businesses with critical information on navigating federal aid programs. We created a ‘Shop Local’ campaign to encourage residents to support local businesses so that they could survive and serve the community after the pandemic,” Frey said.
The city’s efforts were crucial to helping local businesses survive.
“The campaign’s success highlighted the deep connection between our businesses and residents, fostering a stronger sense of mutual support that continues today” Frey said.
For some local businesses, even with the city’s help some businesses had to shut their doors.
“The city offered small loans to businesses to help cover the loss of income which helped stabilize some but for others, the aid extended the inevitable demise of the business,” Daily said.
Similarly to businesses, for many individuals the pandemic caused shifts in pricing for everyday items.
“When supplies were available at the store, consumers would panic and hoard items exacerbating the shortages. Some individuals who stockpiled items were then re-selling those items at a much higher price, gouging consumers,” Daily said.
Although certain necessities increased in cost, other everyday expenses negated the increase.
“While the prices of some items increased, I had other expenses decrease. I was not spending as much money on gas or eating out,” Daily said.
The pandemic was a time when things were changing, but Frey had hindsight about her experience.
“Looking back, one thing I would have done differently is to place even greater emphasis on digital transformation for our local businesses,” Frey said. Before COVID, online shopping had constituted only 11 percent of all retail sales, but with the stay-at-home orders that percentage rose to 27 percent.
“One of the biggest economic changes comes out of the supply chain issues and how consumers shifted their buying to online rather than in store shopping. This has caused brick and mortar stores to offer less selection,” Daily said.
With inventory becoming sparse, it has affected business’ hours.
“The shift to hybrid and remote work has altered the way businesses operate, particularly in downtown Columbus, where the decline in daily office workers has affected restaurants and retailers. Additionally, we’ve seen changes in consumer behavior, with more emphasis on online shopping and contactless services,” Frey said.
During a time of change, the people of Columbus focused on coming together to try to keep the local economy thriving.
“It was pretty inspiring to see people getting to work to help across the entire community. We live in a very special place,” Frey said.
