MONTREAL -- In Little Burgundy, local retailers are hurting.
According to the woman who runs the boutique Lola, when restrictions for the second wave were introduced, business suffered.
"Everything was terrible," said Ereka Boies, the director of Lola. "Like I've never seen it -- where in one week, we saw two clients."
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is asking shoppers to buy local this Christmas, and if they don't, the consequences could be significant.
"We could lose one out of seven retailers due to COVID-19," said Francois Vincent, the vice-president of the CFIB. "So it is crucial."
The organization estimates sales are less than a third of what they usually are, and staffing is at less than half for local businesses.
"It is now that we can decide to save local retailers," Vincent said. "It is now that we can save a business that might give the first job to our kids."
Watch Billy Shields' report above.
