Online sales continue to soar and the City of Hamilton is helping small businesses adapt

The city of Hamilton says it has helped hundreds of small businesses adapt to new online environments, as Statistics Canada reports online sales have gone up more than 99% during the COVID pandemic.

Candi Werx on Concession St., is one of 114 Hamilton businesses that received a $2500 grants to help ease the transition to online.

The city also offers eCommerce training.

Statistics Canada says online sales reached a record highs of almost four billion dollars and theorizes that the COVID-19 pandemic will have a lasting impact on the retail sector, especially if Canadians continue to choose online over in-person shopping.