by Stephen Dafoe
Sales at Alberta businesses continue to flatline according to recent data from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Currently, their latest survey shows, 68 per cent of Alberta businesses are fully open, a drop from the 71 per cent identified two weeks ago. Of the open businesses, 39 per cent are fully staffed, a drop from the 42 per cent fully staffed two weeks ago. The big number in the recent data is that only two in 10 businesses are making normal sales. That number is down from the 24 per cent identified two weeks ago.
“Alberta small businesses are already feeling the impacts of higher case numbers and fear of a second wave,” said CFIB Alberta Provincial Affairs Director Annie Dormuth. “Forty-five per cent of Alberta small businesses report they are losing money each day they are open and over half have seen a drop in revenue because of higher case numbers. Slow economic recovery coupled with these results show our province’s job creators need us to think Small Business Every Day now more than ever during the upcoming holiday season.”
CFIB is urging consumers to shop at local, independent businesses as often as they can.
“It is concerning to see small business recovery take a step back just as we enter the holiday shopping season,” said CFIB Senior Vice-President of National Affairs Corinne Pohlmann. “Many businesses rely on the next several weeks to earn a significant proportion of their revenues. This year, that will be especially critical, as small businesses have suffered extensive losses.”