Retail Council of Canada applauds the extension of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program

Retail Council of Canada (RCC) thanks the federal government for extending the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) program to the end of August.  This represents a continued step forward in helping our retail members remain viable.

We appreciate the government’s pledge to work with businesses to make important adjustments to the program.   RCC has asked for a program that realizes that revenues will recover only gradually so that support is not denied to those who have made only a partial recovery of their former revenue levels.  In addition, we are supportive of the signals from the federal government that it is considering changes to the CEWS requirement to show a 30% drop in gross revenue as this threshold has been a barrier for many who need support.

An extended and adaptable wage subsidy will help retailers large and small get back on their feet.  If properly designed, this program will provide relief to an industry sector that expects a slow recovery – a sector heavily dependent on brick-and-mortar store revenue and discretionary spending.

Diane J. Brisebois, President and CEO, Retail Council of Canada

For more information or to schedule media interviews, contact:
Michelle Wasylyshen
mwasylyshen@retailcouncil.org

 

About Retail Council of Canada

Retail is Canada’s largest employer with 2.1 million Canadians working in our industry. The sector annually generates over $76 billion in wages and employee benefits. Core retail sales (excluding vehicles and gasoline) were $377 billion in 2018. Retail Council of Canada (RCC) members represent more than two thirds of retail sales in the country. RCC is a not-for-profit, industry-funded association that represents small, medium and large retail businesses in every community across the country. As the Voice of Retail™ in Canada, we proudly represent more than 45,000 storefronts in all retail formats, including department, grocery, specialty, discount, independent retailers and online merchants. www.RetailCouncil.org