The retailer said it is actively working with the local government, led by health official guidelines, and in partnership with RILA and industry peers, to open its stores when and where it is safe to do so. Gap said its approach to reopening balances the fact that taking care takes time, with the urgent need to restore the economy and provide the opportunity for its teams to come back to work.
“In working with industry partners and public officials to define Safe Shopping practices, we’re eager to begin welcoming our teams and customers back to our stores, and confident in our ability to safely scale North America openings over the coming months in line with local guidelines,” said Sonia Syngal, CEO of Gap Inc., in a statement. “We continue to use this crisis as an opportunity at every turn. As we leverage our stores as distribution hubs, lean into the meaningful acceleration of our online business and play forward the learnings from our Asia business where all locations are now open, we believe we’ll be well-positioned as this crisis subsides.”
In addition to 1,000 Ship from Store locations, curbside pickup is available in 75 locations to provide its customers a comfortable (contactless) and seamless customer experience and the Gap has plans to expand both programs in the coming months.
Gap said, “We know customers’ needs have and will continue to change as things evolve, so our teams are monitoring and adjusting to meet them where they are. As we adapt to this new normal together, we are prepared to deliver customers a shopping experience that supports the health and safety of our communities, with the brands that they love and trust.”
Here are the steps Gap is taking at its stores:
- Implementing rigorous cleaning routines throughout each store and providing hand sanitizer stations at its front doors and cash wraps and temporarily closing fitting rooms;
- Supplying all employees with high-quality, reusable face masks to wear during their shifts and encouraging customers to wear a face-covering while shopping;
- Installing plexiglass health guard partitions in front of registers and for mobile payments;
- Posting signage throughout the store encouraging customers to observe social distancing guidelines;
- Opening with reduced hours and actively monitoring the flow of customers in stores;
- Temporarily closing restrooms and quarantining returns for 24 hours before putting them back on the sales floor; and
- Ensuring teams follow healthy hygiene habits such as frequent hand washing/sanitizing and monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms before heading to work with a provided health checklist.
Learn more here about the enhanced safety measures across Gap Inc.’s banners.
Photo courtesy Gap Inc.
