NJ ports tell us what people are still buying through pandemic

While many businesses have been slowing down during the pandemic, there are still plenty of goods passing through New Jersey’s ports.

In a story on NorthJersey.com, it is reported that total cargo volumes passing through area ports in August and September exceeded the numbers from 2019. According to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, there are a couple of reasons for this: people stuck at home are doing a lot of online shopping, and retailers getting ready for the holiday season.

Being confined to your home also shaped what people bought. As NorthJersey.com points out, people who were used to buying a cup of coffee on the way to work started making their own, so shipments of coffee makers increased 163% and outfitting home offices resulted in computers and electronics shipments going up 78%. Oh, and shipments of liqueurs are up 41%, so I guess we know what people are doing to kill time.

The gains in cargo are not likely to be enough to offset the Port Authority’s losses in moving people, however. Ridership on PATH trains and airport traffic is down 79% from last year. Revenue from the bridges, tunnels, airports, and PATH provide the largest chunk of the PA’s budget; the ports bring in about 6%.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle. Any opinions expressed are Bill Doyle's own.