In the centre of Nowra there are well over 20 shopfronts up for lease and Amie Gibson's Beloved Boho and Beloved Scents is about to become one of them.

It was already tough for retail business before the bushfires, with declining consumer spending and shopping continuing to move online.

"Basically, due to the fires and losing so many wholesaler customers - because that's the core of my business - I don't have any revenue to carry through to our quiet winter period," Amie Gibson said.

Amie said Shoalhaven City Council had not been supportive.

"I've tried to negotiate with them several times about the lease and each time they've always said to me that I need to pay for the legal fees to renegotiate things, they just haven't made it easy for a small business," she said.

Amie's lease expires in May and she wanted to stay on for a month-to-month basis but was only given the option sign up for a 12-month lease with no reduction in rent.

After a difficult winter period, she was banking on a strong Christmas.

Then the bushfires hit.

"We have about 400 stores nationally that have our products but in the fire region we had 26 stores that were either unable to fulfil their order, pay for their order, or receive their order," she said.

"I had to then keep all that stock and basically that ate up my revenue for the Christmas period."

She said the bushfires were the turning point and if she locked into a one-year lease she would risk losing both her retail and wholesale businesses.

"I've had to put off all my staff.

"I've had two young girls that now don't have jobs and I'm basically doing everything.

"If they'd lowered my rent, it would have allowed me to be able to put one of my young girls back on so that I then had some help to run the store."

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In a statement, Shoalhaven City Council did not comment on lease terms but said it had been meeting one-on-one with bushfire-effected businesses.

"Council is a landlord to only a small number of premises in the Nowra CBD," a council spokesperson said

"[Council has] had over 150 meetings in the past few weeks to discuss bushfire impacted areas.

"Council also organises business training, supports the SRBEC Small Business Advisory Service and flags and banners in the CBD."

Amie Gibson said although her business was struggling, having a wholesale arm meant she was in a better position that other CBD retailers.

"If I had to survive on my retail store alone then I definitely couldn't," she said.

"So I do feel sorry for the other retail owners that are probably experiencing similar difficulties."

She said the foot traffic in the Nowra CBD was 'non-existent' and had only been busy this week because she was clearing out her stock.

"Some days I'll be here all day, manufacturing candles and I don't have anyone that pops in."

She now plans to continue manufacturing in Bomaderry, selling her products online, and will look for a store in Nowra that can stock her products.