Mar 1, 2021
This article originally appeared in the BOMA Ottawa Commercial Space Directory. Read the full publication here.
Thanks to the pandemic, retail will never be the same.
It’s easy to consider this statement only in the context of e-commerce growth. Shopify, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority and others have released plenty of data points charting the dramatic increases in online retail activity among small businesses.
But brick-and-mortar businesses are still dominant retail players, despite the challenges of 2020. Stalwart entrepreneurs continue to set up shop on traditional main streets and other high-traffic locations across the region. Consumers still want the experience of visiting a local store in-person, even if they also value the convenience of online shopping more than ever before.
Posted: Jan 02, 2021 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: January 2
Terry Fitzpatrick is the co-proprietor of Petit Bill s Bistro on Wellington Street W., and says giving businesses hope the lockdown could end after 14 days might have been the wrong idea. (Submitted by Dennis Van Staalduinen)