Regina Leader-Post

Shop owners face tough decision on reopening

Some shop owners wonder whether it makes more sense to close for good

- LYNN GIESBRECHT

Many small businesses in Saskatchew­an are now allowed to open their doors under the Reopen Saskatchew­an plan, but some business owners are upset doing so makes them ineligible for any more help from the province’s emergency payment program.

Nicolette Hunter, who owns Nico Lady + Baby together with her sister-in-law Nicole Hunter, said she is hoping to open the store’s doors on Monday.

She wonders if opening will be even worse for business than staying closed.

While the storefront has been shut down, the business — like many others — has been offering online sales and curbside pickup in an effort to stay afloat.

“Truly the atmosphere has been deliveries,” she said, noting few people have chosen the curbside pickup option.

“There seems to be a real hesitation in even wanting to come inside the physical space.”

It is this hesitation causing Nicolette to wonder if opening the storefront is going to bring any benefits. Keeping their storefront open regular hours is more expensive than running deliveries, and Nicolette isn’t sure the foot traffic will be high enough to justify the extra cost.

They have not paid the store’s nearly $8,000 monthly rent for April or May yet, and neither she nor Nicole have collected their own paycheques since March 15. She is worried without further support, her store may still have to permanentl­y shutter.

In mid-april, the provincial government launched the Saskatchew­an Small Business Emergency Payment Program (SSBEP), which offered up to $5,000 for small businesses that had “been ordered to temporaril­y close or significan­tly curtail operations.”

SSBEP was later extended to May and a second payment of the same amount is available to eligible businesses. Any business allowed to open in Phase 1 or Phase 2, however, is excluded from this second payment.

The Ministry of Trade and Export Developmen­t in an emailed statement defined “significan­tly curtail” as a business required to close their storefront or offer emergency services only, or a daycare that had to limit the number of children in its care.

Businesses that had to close part of their operations, like closing a restaurant within a hotel, were also eligible.

“It does not mean an allowable business experienci­ng a loss of sales revenue,” the statement said.

Having been eligible for the full $5,000 in April, Nicolette is upset her business cannot receive this second payment.

“I think the province has an expectatio­n that because our businesses are allowed to be open that we’re fine now, and we’re not,” she said.

Nicolette had also hoped the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) might help her out, but Nico Lady + Baby is not eligible for that program either, having seen revenue drop by only 60 per cent instead of the required 70 per cent.

“It’s really putting us in a perilous situation where we’re being left out of two really important programs that could help us tremendous­ly at this point in time,” she said.

In its statement, the ministry said businesses that had been allowed to continue operating all along were not eligible for the first payment, and so “in order to be fair, businesses that are allowed to open in May are not eligible.”

Janelle Anderson, owner and founder of Handmade Saskatchew­an, is also hoping to open her Southland Mall store on Monday but does not anticipate many sales.

Her revenue decrease is hovering around 70 per cent, so she isn’t sure if a couple of sales in the next few days will make her ineligible for the federal rent relief program. She has not been able to pay her rent either. Being left out of the second round of the province’s SSBEP payments left her feeling “kind of defeated,” she said.

“I kind of understand, but at the same time it’s just another blow to the business.”

Optimal Hearing had to shut down completely for the month of April and lost 100 per cent of its revenue that month, said owner Cristina Carteri. The business was included in Phase 1, which launched on May 4, but even so, revenue has been only a quarter of what it normally is, although Carteri does not anticipate having to close her business because of the revenue drop.

While she is grateful for the help the first SSBEP payment brought, she said it was disappoint­ing to not be included in the second payment.

“When there’s opportunit­y for that again and we’re just not being a part of it, it’s heartbreak­ing.”

 ?? TROY FLEECE ?? Nicolette Hunter and Nicole Hunter, owners of Nico Lady + Baby, clean the store to prepare for reopening. But when they do reopen, they will be ineligible for the Small Business Emergency Payment Program.
TROY FLEECE Nicolette Hunter and Nicole Hunter, owners of Nico Lady + Baby, clean the store to prepare for reopening. But when they do reopen, they will be ineligible for the Small Business Emergency Payment Program.

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