A number of big companies will close doors in British Columbia this week due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while a number have already shuttered.
Last week, provincial health officials advised against gatherings over 250 people. On Monday, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry advised against gatherings over 50.
Now, the City of Vancouver has declared a state of emergency, and Mayor Kennedy Stewart encourages residents to immediately limit their time in public places.
“I am asking all residents to immediately limit their time in public places,” Stewart said. “Stay home as much as you can and on the rare occasion that you need to leave home to get essentials, keep a safe distance of between one and two metres from others.”
In light of the unprecedented circumstances, Aritizia announced that it would be shutting down all of its retail locations "until further notice" effective March 16. The retail giant stated that all of its Support Office employees would be offered flexible working arrangements, and that it would take every measure to keep its environments and people safe.
IKEA Canada has also announced that it will temporarily close all stores until further notice, "to support social distancing efforts based on recommendations from local health authorities." However, the Swedish-founded company notes that its online store will remain open, and will offer home delivery services as well as store, "Click & Collect pick-up."
In a statement, IKEA Canada writes:
"We are committed to supporting our 7,300 co-workers in the best possible way during closure. We will continue to support co-workers through our comprehensive benefits package and paid leave policy. We continue to be concerned about our co-workers’ livelihoods, which is why we are committed to paying all co-workers for their scheduled hours during these challenging times; additionally we are currently looking at new opportunities for our retail co-workers including cross-training, supporting other areas of the business, as well as focusing on eLearning, competence development and other training opportunities."
Purdy's Canada will also temporarily close all 84 Purdys shops across Canada, "to further protect our customers and Purdys team with the goal of doing our part to slow the spread of the virus and minimize impact." The chocolate company will continue the it's oline operation, the Purdys Fundraising program and Group Purchase programs, as well as our Factory Kitchen and distribution.
Canada's largest movie exhibitor Cineplex Inc. says it's closing all of its 165 theatres nationwide until at least April 2 in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The chain also was to temporarily shutter entertainment complexes the Rec Room and Playdium effective Monday night. Cineplex also represents about 75 per cent of the Canadian film exhibitor market. Closing its theatres would effectively eliminate public movie screenings in many communities.
Landmark Cinemas, the country's second-largest movie chain with 46 theatres, followed shortly after Cineplex's announcement saying that it would close all of its locations across the country, which span Western Canada, Ontario and the Yukon.
Makeup-giant Sephora shuttered all of its retail shops effective March 17, and says that it will remain closed until April 3. All employees will receive base pay for scheduled shifts during this closure. The company's online store will remain open.
Nordstrom also closed doors for two weeks effective March 17. The mega-retailer will offer online digital styling, online order pickup and curbside services at our full-line stores, as we are allowed by local regulations. In a release, the company states that, "We realize the impact a closure can have on our store employees, and this is not a decision we made lightly. We want to take care of them as best we can and will be providing them with pay and benefits during this two-week period as well as providing additional resources to help them through this challenging time."
Hudson's Bay was closed effective March 17, stating that, "The health and well-being of our associates, customers and communities is always our top priority. As we work together to ensure everyone’s safety, we have made the decision to temporarily close all Hudson’s Bay stores, effective immediately." The department stores will remain close for two weeks, and reopening will be assessed at that time. The online store remains open.
Saje Wellness temporarily closed all Saje stores effective March 17 until March 29. The company states that, "Over the next two weeks, we will be compensating our team members for all scheduled hours."
H&M has closed all its retail locations in Canada until April 2, and says it, "will continue to support our impacted colleagues and their families with two weeks of continued pay."
Apple Inc has closed all of its retail stores outside of Greater China until further notice.
- With files from the Vancouver Courier and the Canadian Press.
