As lockdown eases around the world retailers are opening their stores and customers are returning. To help keep tabs on what’s going on, we have curated this list of retailers who are opening their doors and the steps they are taking.
This is an aggregated list of brands from around the world who are reopening (or have reopened their stores following the Covid-19 crisis.
In it we briefly detail where they are opening and the safety precautions they are implementing.
Planning a store opening? Read this article first: How to open a store – Eleven things to consider when planning to open a store in a post-Covid world
What follows is, of course, not an exhaustive list, but we hope you find it useful. Where we state what safety precautions each brand is taking it doesn’t mean these are all the steps they are taking.
Skip straight to your region USA, UK, France.
United States
Apple
Apple is reopening many locations in the U.S. with nearly 100 of its stores open globally by mid-May.
What steps are they taking?
- Customers are required to wear face coverings
- Masks will be provided if needed.
- Enhanced cleaning to take place throughout the day.
Ascena
The womenswear brand has opened 450 of its 2,800 stores as of the end of May.
What steps are they taking?
- Buy online pick up in store services.
- Curbside pickup.
- Limited capacity.
- Providing hand sanitizer and masks.
- Fitting rooms following social distancing practices.
- Plexiglass installed at checkout.
Best Buy
Best Buy has opened 200 of its stores.
What steps are they taking?
- Customers will have to schedule an appointment.
- Appointments booked online, over the phone or on the Best Buy app
- During their appointment the customer will be attended to by a sales representative at all times
- Customers must stay six feet from staff.
- Sneeze guards at checkouts.
- In order to try out a gadget it will be wiped down by a Best Buy employee must before and after.
- Curbside pickup.
Claire’s
Claire’s said is opening its stores in accordance with state guidelines with the majority of stores already open and the rest to be open by mid-June.
What steps are they taking?
- Social distancing practices.
- Hand sanitizer is available.
- High-touch surfaces are being sanitized regularly.
Dick’s Sporting Goods
As of May 30 approximately 80 percent of the sporting goods retailers stores are open.
What steps are they taking?
- Enforce social distancing protocols.
- Installing sneeze guards.
- Offering curbside pickup.
- Designated shopping hours for at-risk customers.
Gap
Gap has said it plans to be ‘responsibly aggressive’ as it opens its 800 stores. Plans were to open by the beginning of May and include its Gap, Old Navy, Athleta, Banana Republic, Janie and Jack brands.
What steps are they taking?
- New cleaning routines
- Install hand-sanitizer stations at front doors and checkouts.
- Close fitting rooms.
- Install plexiglass guards at checkouts.
- Signage reminding customers to follow social-distancing guidelines.
- Reduce store hours and actively monitor “the flow of customers in stores.”
- Temporarily close restrooms and quarantine returns for 24 hours before returning them to the sales floor.
- Supply employees with face masks
- Encourage customers to wear face coverings.
J. Jill
The women’s apparel brand is starting to reopen stores.
What steps are they taking?
- All stores professionally cleaned before reopening
- Increased cleaning procedures.
- Fitting rooms only available by appointment.
- Limiting the number of customers in stores.
- Encouraging social distancing.
- Hand sanitizer available for customers
- Customers encouraged to wear masks.
Lands’ End
Some of the apparel brand’s stores have reopened.
What steps are they taking?
- Plexiglass installed at checkout,
- Social distancing guidelines maintained.
- Updated store capacity
- Updated merchandise handling procedures
- Regular cleaning.
- Customers are asked to wear masks
- Fitting rooms temporarily closed
- Returns will be kept off the shelves for 24 hours.
Lush
The beauty brand has begun reopening stores across the U.S. and Canada and hopes to have every location operational by the middle of July.
What steps are they taking?
- Contactless pickup.
- Buy online, pick up in-store.
- Reduced capacities.
- Social distancing markers.
- Mandatory contactless payments.
- Regular cleaning.
- Demos paused.
- Personal consultations for customers seeking advice.
Macy’s
Macy’s has reopened 68 stores, about 80 percent of its fleet, with the remainder on schedule to be open late June.
What steps are they taking?
- Curbside pickup.
- Bra fittings are paused.
- No trying on dress shirts.
- Customers must use hand sanitizer before trying on jewelry and watches.
- Fragrance samples on blotters.
- Beauty and makeup testers will only be for viewing.
- All spa services suspended.
Nordstrum
The luxury department store chain is opening its stores slowly but plans to have most of its locations open by the end of June.
What steps are they taking?
- Contactless Curbside Pickup
- Curbside returns
- Limited numbers of customers in each store at any given time.
- Employees stationed at entrances to count customers and offer guidance.
- Close some fittings rooms and clean those that remain open after each use.
- Hold clothing that has been tried on or returned for a “period of time” before returning it to the sales floor.
- Increase cleaning and sanitizing, especially around high-traffic areas, like checkout counters.
- Add as sneeze guards to checkout areas.
- Only accepting contactless payments.
- Close ATMs and water fountains.
Simon Property Group
The largest shopping mall operator in the US has said it is reopening its 49 malls.
What steps are they taking?
- Play areas and stroller stations will be blocked off.
- CDC-approved masks and individual sanitizing wipe packets will be provided free of charge to shoppers who request them.
- Customers will be limited to one person per 50-square-feet.
- There will be social distancing markers throughout the mall.
- Food court seating will be limited.
- Reusable trays or silverware won’t be used.
- In bathrooms, every other sink and urinal will be taped off.
Ulta beauty
Ulta Beauty started opening its 180 stores on May 11.
What steps are they taking?
- Employees will be wearing masks
- Request customers wear face coverings.
- No product testers.
- Open products on display only to show colors.
- Signage and floor decals in place to encourage social distancing
- Install protective barriers at registers,
- Provide options for contactless payment.
- Limit store occupancy.
United Kingdom
EE and BT
EE and BT, which have a combined 600 high street stores nationwide, will start a phased reopening from June 15.
What steps are they taking?
- Designated member of staff to greet customers at store entrances.
- Workers will also be given PPE.
- Plastic screens separating staff and shoppers,
- A text message system to tell customers when to visit stores.
The Entertainer
The Entertainer will reopen all 173 of its stores on June 15.
What steps are they taking?
- Social distancing measures in place
- A new fast-track service to allow shoppers to place an order on their phone and collect within 10 minutes.
Hammerson
Hammerson has announced that its flagship outlet stores and shopping centres in England are to re-open from 15 June. This follows the opening of its French locations earlier in May.
What steps are they taking?
- One-way systems where required.
- Clear signage reminding customers of the need to follow social distancing guidance, and to avoid shopping in large groups
- Using the centres’ communication channels including social media, digital in-mall displays and tannoy announcements to remind visitors about how to stay safe.
- Live monitoring of footfall to ensure there aren’t too many people in a centre at any one time
- Queuing outside the destinations when required to manage capacity
- Hand sanitiser stations.
- Staff to wear protective clothing.
- Customers encouraged to use contactless payment.
John Lewis
John Lewis will open its first store in Kingston and Poole on June 15, with 13 more set to follow on June 18.
What steps are they taking?
- Changing rooms, cafes, and beauty treatments will not be available.
- A customer service host will welcome customers into shops and answer questions they have about social distancing.
- A queue at both entrances and busy areas of shops.
- Contactless payment limit of £45.
- Rigorous and frequent cleaning.
- Limited numbers of customers in stores.
Marks & Spencers
The majority M&S clothing stores will reopen on 15 June.
What steps are they taking?
- Hand sanitiser on entry.
- Staff managing the flow of people in and out of stores.
- Floor markings and signage reminding customers to shop safely.
- Fitting rooms for the meantime will remain closed.
- Bra, suit and children’s footwear fittings not in operation.
- Seating areas and services in cafes closed.
- Extended returns policy.
Matalan
Matalan has re-opened 175 of its stores across England and Northern Ireland. The stores that are open are spacious stores with large homeware departments and a click and collect service. These stores are all located in out of town retail parks.
What steps are they taking?
- Rigorous in-store testing
- Every store is fully compliant with social distancing.
- with employees trained appropriately and provided with full PPE.
- Click and collect
Next
Next plans to reopen 25 of its ‘out of town’ stores on June 15. The fashion and homeware retailer hasn’t confirmed which locations but has said the stores will be larger shops in out of town locations.
What steps are they taking?
- Queuing systems outside stores.
- Exit and entry management processes.
- Signs promoting social distancing.
- One-way routes around the shop floor in some places.
- Screens at the tills.
- PPE available for staff.
- Hand sanitisation stations.
- All equipment will be cleaned regularly.
Oxfam
Oxfam has said it will begin reopening some of its stores in England from 15 June.
What steps are they taking?
- Space for social distancing.
- Staff and volunteers will have necessary personal protective equipment.
- All surfaces, doors and equipment will be regularly cleaned
- Donated items will be isolated for 72 hours.
Primark
Primark is set to open 153 of its stores in England from June 15.
What steps are they taking?
- Social distancing rules
- Hand sanitiser stations have been installed.
- Perspex screens at tills.
- Cleaning of “high frequency touch points” such as door handles.
Reiss
Fashion retailer Reiss will open 26 of its 50 stores on June 15.
What steps are they taking?
- Restricting the number of customers allowed in store.
- Hand sanitising stations around the store.
- Staff will be wearing face masks and disposable gloves.
- Limited access to fitting rooms.
- Customers will be encouraged to try on products at home.
- Returns will be quarantined for 72 hours.
- Encouraging contactless payments.
- Enhanced store cleaning.
France
Non-essential shops started opening in France from May 11.
The majority of stores are now open in some capacity. Most brands are focused on easing into new hygiene routines, with many making face masks compulsory. Another across the board change is that from May 11 the contactless limit will be increased from €30 to €50.
Chanel
What steps are they taking?
- Face masks compulsory for all customers.
- Plexiglass shields by the tills.
Hermes
All 42 of Hermes’ French stores are open.
What steps are they taking?
- Shop assistants greet customers
- Hand sanitiser offered at the door
- Staff wear face masks
JouéClub
What steps are they taking?
- Staff wear face masks.
- A one-way system for people to circulate.
- Customers have to ask for to access some products, such as soft toys.
- Order online, pick up in store.
Luis Vuitton
Open across the country including in Paris
What steps are they taking?
- Face masks compulsory for all customers.
- Clothes that are tried on are set aside to be steamed.
- Handbags are put in a 48-hour quarantine.
