TORONTO — More than nine in 10 consumers say that provinces should allow small, local retailers to remain open with a limited number of customers, according to new public opinion research conducted by Maru/Matchbox on behalf of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. CFIB is reiterating its call for the Ontario and Manitoba governments to swap current restrictions in lockdown regions with enhanced rules to allow small firms to open for in-store shopping with a strict capacity limit.
“It makes no sense at all to close small businesses that are deemed non-essential to in-store shopping while pushing crowds to big box stores who are permitted to sell the same merchandise, like Ontario has done in Toronto and Peel,” said Dan Kelly, president at CFIB. Nearly three-quarters of Canadians said they feel safer shopping at a small local business with reduced capacity than at a big box store.
