A local business owner is pointing the finger directly to online shopping as the main reason behind her decision to close two long-standing St. John’s businesses.

Kim Paddon announced the closure of Whink! and the Newfoundland Weavery on Facebook earlier this month.

Paddon says foot traffic in the downtown is down, but the main reason why she’s finding it so hard to keep going is the continued trend of shoppers moving online to get what they’re looking for.

Changing “customer behaviour, and online, that’s the reality of it.”