Will pre-pandemic habits return?
Toronto’s PATH businesses are anticipating a rise in customer numbers as major employers in the city’s financial core, including several of Canada’s largest banks, implement new office attendance mandates.
The PATH—which stretches 30 kilometres beneath downtown Toronto and houses more than 1,200 shops and services—was hit hard during the pandemic as remote work became widespread and daily foot traffic dwindled. Although business has improved since the height of COVID-19 restrictions, the busiest periods are still concentrated in the middle of the week, when more staff choose to work onsite, CBC reported.
For some businesses, workers’ return to the workplace is essential.
“We rely on people being here in person. Online sales aren’t an option for us,” Jerry Li, owner of an INS convenience store in First Canadian Place, told CBC. “More people in the PATH would make a big difference for my business.”
Paul Fisher, president of Modern Golf, said his store has seen a steady increase in visitors since opening in 2023. “Foot traffic has doubled each year since we started, and we’re seeing that trend continue,” Fisher said in an interview with CBC .
Several major banks, including TD, Scotiabank, Bank of Montreal, and RBC, have announced that employees will be required to work from the office at least four days a week starting this autumn. Rogers Communications has also introduced a similar policy, with plans to move to a full five-day in-office schedule by February.
No return to pre-pandemic habits
However, some experts caution that a return to the office will not necessarily bring back pre-pandemic shopping habits. Laura Miller, a University of Toronto professor, told CBC that many employees have shifted to online shopping for daily needs, which could mean less spending at PATH businesses even if office attendance increases.
Giles Gherson, CEO of the Toronto Region Board of Trade, pointed out that higher office occupancy rates are not just important for small businesses, but also for the city’s finances. “If office towers remain emptier than before the pandemic, their property values drop, which leads to lower tax revenues for the city,” Gherson explained to CBC .
As major employers across Canada demand workers return to their desks, new research reveals a growing disconnect between corporate expectations and employee preferences. The Angus Reid Institute survey of 1,918 Canadian adults found that 59% of workers would prefer to spend most of their working time at home if possible.
