WASHINGTON- “Those who are not unemployed are shopping, they’re shopping online,” said Leon Buck of the National Retail Federation.

Buck says small businesses that are able to sell online are hanging in there.

Ann Cantrell owns one such business.  

“That’s really what has gotten us through the pandemic is our online business,” says Cantrell, owner of Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store.

Cantrelll says she’s seen an increase in online sales during the pandemic.

“It’s been a good weekend so far with Black Friday, and then into Small Business Saturday,” says Cantrell.

But for many retailers, it’s a lost year. They hope Congress can pass another relief package before the Christmas holiday.

“It’s completely unreasonable to ask a business to operate a reduced capacity indefinitely, without giving them the support to get through it,” says Rep. Josh Harder, (D) California.

Harder would like to see the Paycheck Protection Program extended, as would Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.

“If we want the small businesses that have already hung on for most of the year to survive for a few more months,” says McConnell.

McConnell says Democrats should sign onto a smaller relief package.

“Let Congress pass hundreds of billions of dollars of relief on all the subjects where we agree,” McConnell says.

“There are some of our sectors that have not bounced back,” says Buck, adding that those that have not been able to ride the wave of online shopping in the final days of 2020 need COVID relief from Congress in order to make it to 2021.