Indigo rehires 545 workers following layoffs of 5,200 staff amid COVID-19

TORONTO -- Indigo Books and Music Inc. says it is rehiring 545 of its workers after tapping into the federal government's emergency wage subsidy.

The Toronto-based retailer temporarily laid off 5,200 of its retail employees and closed its retail locations in mid-March amid an outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

The Indigo workers being rehired are in salaried and leadership roles at retail locations.

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The rehiring comes as Indigo says its online channel has experienced triple-digit growth.

The company, however, warned that COVID-19 is expected to have a material impact on its fiscal 2021 business, operations and financial performance.

Indigo says it is too early to quantify how much of an impact the virus will have on its business because the extent, duration and severity of the pandemic are still unknown and government restrictions and consumer behaviour are still changing.

This story by The Canadian Press was first published April 13, 2020.

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  A sign showing where Indigo plans to open a new store this fall is seen at the Mall at Short Hills in Short Hills, N.J., on July 22, 2018. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Craig Wong)