Pandemic induced 'pent up demand' may allow for smooth recovery for London businesses

As Ontario starts to ease COVID-19-related restrictions, businesses in London, Ont. will soon be able to focus on recovering from a difficult two years filled with lockdowns and declining sales. 

With vaccine passports and capacity limits being lifted starting March 1, what will the road to recovery for local businesses look like?

John White, professor at Western University's Dan department of management and organizational studies, says the onus will now be on businesses to market themselves differently in order to gain clientele.   

"The trick for the small businesses who are trying to attract customers is that they truly need to differentiate and give people a reason to come into their stores," he said. 

"There's an unbelievable pent-up demand, with people who are just dying to get out of their homes and return to life as normal."

Graham Henderson, the head of London's Chamber of Commerce, told CBC's London Morning on Tuesday, that this gives signs of tremendous optimism to business owners. 

"It's obviously good news when we can get closer to a reopening," he said.

White says that there have been permanent changes to traditional consumerism with the rise of online shopping, that many customers have gotten pretty comfortable with.  

He finds that certain industries might bounce back faster and easier compared to others. 

"It'll vary from industry to industry. For some, it'll be immediate, and others it'll be slow and gradual, and some will be changed forever," he said. 

White also acknowledges that pandemic-related financial disparities are a key factor in determining how and where customers will spend their money. 

"Those who've kept their jobs through the pandemic have some money to spend, and those whose income was affected by it might still want to go out and live life, but they'll be in less of a position to do so," he said. 

Henderson says that the province easing restrictions puts all responsibility of safety on business owners creating lots of uncertainty and chaos.  

"That's just injecting unpredictability into the system, and putting it back on owners who might be responding to legitimate concerns of health and safety of their staff and customers," he said.