Retailer
"A shut down of physical bookstores would have serious consequences on the well-being of Canadians young and old, as well as the livelihood of authors and booksellers, across the country," Indigo said in a statement to
"Online retailers alone do not have the supply chain capacity to service the book business in
"Nor can the books category be left in the hands of online retailers without serious impact on the reach of Canadian stories, authors, illustrators, and voices — and the long-standing vibrancy and diversity of our retail ecosystem."
The joint call to designate bookstores as essential comes as new daily COVID-19 cases have been hovering well above the 1,000 mark in
The premier's office wouldn't comment on the matter, but directed
The lockdowns come into effect on Monday and will force all non-essential retailers in those regions to close their doors, but allow them to offer curbside pickup.
"If you are shopping online I know it can be easy to go with Amazon, but please remember you can get the exact same product from local stores," he said. "Please buy through local stores."
Flying Books, a
"These are like the benevolent nerds of the world, so they are going to be extremely careful," she said.
She said she's seen how squeezed small bookstores have been during the pandemic as they try to keep up with changing restrictions or start e-commerce businesses.
Cochrane said Increasing labour costs, rising commercial rents and competition from online retailers who operate at a scale and with a cost structure that independent and national retailers cannot rival are hurting booksellers.
Many have long relied on in-person book launches and events to quell some of the impacts on online retailers like Amazon.com Inc., but the pandemic has destroyed that revenue avenue, she said.
While Indigo said its push for essential designation would help independent booksellers and publishers, the company would benefit, too.
Being allowed to stay open could offer some relief for Indigo, which has seen decreased foot traffic and sales during the pandemic.
So many people have stayed home and put off purchases that the
Indigo's same-store sales for online and retail stores, a key metric in the retail sector, fell 7.9 per cent in the quarter.
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