People in Atlantic Canada are the least likely in the country to have experienced during the pandemic the closure of a restaurant or store they regularly patronized.
Results of a new survey show that overall, a third of Canadians indicate a store they regularly visited has closed permanently, and more than four in 10 have seen the permanent closure of a preferred restaurant during the pandemic.
Across the country, store closures have been noticed most on the Prairies and in Quebec, both at 40 per cent of respondents, while the figure in this region is 25 per cent.
A greater number of Ontario residents have seen restaurant closures (46 per cent), a bit higher than the 40 per cent of those in B.C., the Prairies and Quebec. In Atlantic Canada, it’s true of a third of those surveyed.
For both stores and restaurants, people in the gen-Z and millennial demographics are more likely to have seen a favourite location close, compared with gen-X or boomers.
“The impact of stores and restaurants closing as a result of the pandemic should not be underestimated,” said Margaret Brigley, CEO and partner at Narrative Research, which conducted the survey. “Despite many government assistance programs and community supports for small businesses, there is no doubt it’s been a challenging year for retail and those in food services.”
Results shown are from a survey of 1,233 Canadians 18 years or older, conducted online between January 15-19.
