WINNIPEG – The start of holiday shopping season hasn’t done much to help Manitoba’s entrepreneurs according to a new poll by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. CFIB says businesses owners are seeing a downturn in their recovery amid a second wave of COVID-19.

– 65 per cent of Manitoba businesses are fully open (down from 78 per cent two weeks ago)

– 46 per cent are fully staffed (down from 52 per cent two weeks ago)

– 36 per cent are making normal sales (down from 39 per cent two weeks ago)

The federation acknowledged that these numbers don’t factor in the new restrictions on many businesses across Manitoba that take effect this week. They fear all three numbers could decrease even further in the coming days.

“It is concerning to see Canada’s small business recovery take a step back just as we enter the holiday shopping season,” says 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.”

With new restrictions like those announced for Manitoba emerging across Canada, just 11 per cent of hospitality businesses and nine per cent of arts, fitness, and recreation businesses are having sales that are normal for this time of year. CFIB is encouraging Manitobans to shop local and choose to support small businesses whenever they can, even if it means they now have to look for them on the web and shop online.