CALGARY—The owner of a Calgary Subway shop under fire for offering free medical masks with the purchase of a sandwich says the promotion was a desperate attempt to keep his store afloat as coronavirus takes a major toll on small businesses.

Sam, who declined to give his last name, apologized and said he’d taken down the promotion. He said sales at his store at a mall in west Calgary have dropped by 80 per cent.

“We suffer so much, so much. I haven’t fired people; I’ve tried to get sales. It doesn’t mean we’re making money,” he said when reached by phone.

But at a time when medical personnel around the world are increasingly desperate for protective equipment as more and more cases of COVID-19 push health-care systems to the brink, the move has been sharply criticized online.

Several people posted a picture to Twitter of an outdoor sign used by the store to advertise its promotion.

“Free Medical Mask to protect you and your kids,” it reads, next to a stock image of someone wearing a medical-looking gown and cap. “Buy any 2 regular Sandwiches and get 1 FREE Mask.”

Among them was Jill Hawker-Spiers, who tweeted late Thursday: “This is disgusting. Take this sign down and close your doors.”

Westbrook Mall, where the store is located, tweeted that it had reached out to the franchise owner and removed all signage from the property.

Sam argued that he’s not competing with medical supply chains, because he bought the masks from an importer friend, and therefore, he said, he’s not taking them away from doctors.

He also pointed out it’s almost impossible for the average person to buy a mask at this point, so this was a way for someone to get one, while also supporting his business.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses says owners’ confidence has plummeted to an all-time low in the wake of coronavirus, and a recent survey found almost 40 per cent of owners said they were doing poorly.

Calgary businesses, meanwhile, are facing the double whammy of coronavirus and oil prices. Sam maintains he was just trying to stay in business.

“They just think we’re greedy,” he said. “They think we make a lot of money easily, quickly, which is not right. We're just struggling.”

Subway's corporate office called the signage and the promotion “regrettable.”

“This was an unsanctioned and completely inappropriate promotion undertaken by a franchise owner," said Cristina Wells, country director for Subway Canada. “This was addressed with the franchisee immediately upon becoming aware and the sign has since been taken down.”

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“Subway Canada in no way condones this regrettable incident, and sincerely apologizes for the insensitivity in the message."

Medical experts, meanwhile, have argued that masks may not stop the average person from getting coronavirus, and may, in fact, just provide a false sense of security.

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