Shops in downtown McAllen experiencing decline in business compared to last summer
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Business in downtown McAllen is seeing a bit of a slow-down compared to last summer.
One business employee says they hope back-to-school shopping brings a much-needed business boom.
Juan Castillo is an employee at Unique Trends in downtown McAllen, and he says they opened the store during the pandemic and haven't seen it this slow since the early days.
Castillo says business dropped about 60 percent in sales compared to last year and like many stores in the downtown area, they rely on customers from both sides of the border.
With fewer customers coming in, Castillo says they had to reduce employee's hours to save money. They're trying different things to get more money flowing in.
"We open 20 minutes earlier and close up to an hour later to see if we can get more sales to help with our bills, rent and employees pay," Zorba manager Yolanda Magdalemo said.
The McAllen Chamber of Commerce says after the pandemic, there was an economic boost. They also said there are many factors that can contribute to a decline in business like less disposable money from stimulus checks, the heat and a drop in tourists.
The city is working to make the city a sports tourism destination to attract more people from outside the Valley.
Castillo is hopeful business will pick up with people expected to start back-to-school shopping.
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