Analyzing the impact of lockdowns on the performance of brick and mortar businesses: a case of Kawempe division

Abstract

The aim of the study was to analyze the impact of the lockdown on the performance of brick-and- mortar businesses in the Kawempe Division. The study period was from December 2022 to February 2023.The study was carried out using primary data with a sample size of 100 people. The study had the main objective of determining the impact of lockdown on the profitability of brick-and- mortar businesses. A questionnaire of closed-ended questions was used to collect data from the targeted population. The data collected was analyzed using graphs and frequency tables and data analysis was done using SPSS. The study revealed that a total of 68% of the respondents indicated that the lockdown affected their profits. The study also revealed that 54% of the respondents agreed that the sales of the business declined after the lockdown and the rest disagreed. Difficulty in accessing the raw materials as well as access to credit, and low demand were still challenges after the lockdown. The study recommended that the government of Uganda should reduce the taxes collected from Brick and mortar businesses and give grants. The study also recommended that financial services providers should design special type of loans to help business access loans. Finally the study recommended that the adoption of new business models such as e-commerce to improve sales.