TABLE 2.
Responses from small business operators (respondents) on the level of impact of COVID‐19 lockdown and social distancing measures on small businesses studied [i.e., improved, unimproved (the same) and worse]
| S/N | Category of small businesses | Onitsha | Aba | Owerri | Nsukka | % of total Responses | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Responses | Responses | Responses | Responses | |||||||||||||
| Improved | Unimproved | Worse | Improved | Unimproved | Worse | Improved | Unimproved | Worse | Improved | Unimproved | Worse | Improved (total) | Unimproved (total) | Worse (total) | ||
| 1 | Clothing/foot wears | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 (5%) | 19 (95%) |
| 2 | Catering/decoration | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 (15%) | 17 (85%) |
| 3 | Tailoring | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 (15%) | 17 (85%) |
| 4 | Camera/video coverage services | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20 (100%) |
| 5 | Hairdressing/barbing saloon | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 12 (60%) | 8 (35%) |
| 6 | Shoemaking | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 (25%) | 15 (75%) |
| 7 | Restaurant/beer parlour | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 6 (30%) | 14 (70%) |
| 8 | Foodstuffs | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 (15%) | 12 (60%) | 5 (25%) |
| 9 | Bakery/confectionary | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 (10%) | 9 (45%) | 9 (45%) |
| 10 | Fruits/vegetable items | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 (5%) | 10 (50%) | 9 (45%) |
| 11 | Supermarkets | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 (10%) | 7 (35%) | 11 (55%) |
| 12 | ICT/computer centre | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 (5%) | 19 (95%) |
| 12 | Electrical accessories/Repairs | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 (35%) | 13 (55%) |
| 14 | Stationeries | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 (25%) | 15 (75%) |
| 15 | Chemist/pharmaceutical | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 17 (85%) | 3 (15%) | 0 |
| Total responses across all categories | 7 | 16 | 52 | 6 | 22 | 47 | 8 | 27 | 40 | 4 | 20 | 51 | 25 (8.3%) | 84 (28%) | 191 (63.7) | |
Note: (i) Improved (level of patronage/income compared to pre‐Covid‐19 lockdowns); (ii) unimproved (level of patronage/income compared to pre‐Covid‐19 lockdowns); (iii) worse (level of patronage/income compared to pre‐Covid‐19 lockdowns).
Source: Authors' field study 2020.