Many businesses are eager to reopen as the country continues to feel the weight of the staggering economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. Macy’s, one of the biggest department store chains in the U.S., is no different, taking steps to reopen all of its 775 stores within the next eight weeks.
According to The New York Times, the reopening plan extends to its major flagships in Manhattan, as well as Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury. However, some services (such as fitting rooms and “no touch” consultations) will be limited, while other services (like ear piercing, bra fittings and alterations) will be temporarily suspended.
Reopenings are expected to begin on Monday in states that are already starting to slowly make a move toward lifting bans, such as Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Some 68 stores will be reopened across those states, with 50 more locations opening up on May 11.
However, the department chain acknowledges that there is still no guarantee that customers will return.
“We’ll see how they respond, and based on that, we’ll be a lot smarter,” Macy’s CEO Jeff Gennette said, according to the Times. “So I’m going to know a lot more by Tuesday of next week.”
Gennette acknowledged that although April sales were “stronger than we expected,” the business was not made to keep up with a complete shutdown of its stores for an extended period of time, the Times notes.
The company furloughed a majority of its workers last month.
Still, the company said it will only reopen its stores where state and local governments have given the green light for nonessential workers to return to work. Staff will also be trained on new health and safety routines. It will also have new rules for returned clothing, or clothes that have been tried on.