Major Retailers Like Nike and Apple Shut Stores Amid Coronavirus Spread
A growing list of major retailers, including Apple and Nike, temporarily closes physical stores worldwide to slow the coronavirus outbreak. While apparel shops halt operations, essential grocers like Walmart reduce hours to restock and clean.
A growing chorus of major retailers temporarily closes physical stores across the United States and beyond as the coronavirus outbreak accelerates. Nike shuts down all its locations in the U.S., Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand through March 27, while rival Under Armour takes similar steps. Apple also closes over 450 stores in Western markets during the same period to maximize social distance and minimize virus transmission.
Mall-based clothing retailers face particularly grim outlooks as they shutter their doors. Abercrombie & Fitch closes all its stores, including the Hollister chain, through March 28 and withdraws its 2020 financial forecast due to expected material adverse impacts. Other prominent brands like Patagonia, Urban Outfitters, Warby Parker, and Everlane join the wave of temporary closures while continuing to pay their staff.
Essential retailers take a different approach by shortening their operating hours rather than closing entirely. Walmart reduces its store and Neighborhood Market hours to 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. to give employees time to clean and restock empty shelves amid a massive surge in consumer demand. Grocery chains like Publix, Kroger, and Stop and Shop adopt similar reduced schedules, while Walmart even offers some of its parking lots to the government for coronavirus testing sites.