A fire at the Multicomercio building in downtown Guayaquil has led to a considerable decline in customer foot traffic for local businesses nearby. Merchants indicated that they have seen a dramatic drop in their activity following the incident, which caused the evacuation of staff before the end of their workday due to the collapse of two of the building's five towers. Road closures around key intersections like Eloy Alfaro and Cuenca have further compounded the issue, creating a significant impact on commerce in the area.

As of Thursday and continuing into Friday, local business owners are concerned as customer numbers have dwindled drastically. Shops remain closed, and traffic in the vicinity is virtually non-existent, leading to an eerily quiet environment where bustling commerce used to thrive. Authorities have restricted access to a 300-meter radius around the site as a precautionary measure, and although the fire has been managed, the subsequent reduction in road access continues to disrupt economic activity.

The situation has drawn attention to the resilience of small business owners such as Celia Monserrat, a Venezuelan citizen who has worked in a beauty salon near the affected site for over two years. She and her fellow merchants are left grappling with the aftermath of the fire and its ongoing implications on their livelihoods as the area struggles to return to normalcy amidst safety concerns and visible damage.