Following the announcement by Apple earlier this weekend to temporarily close its U.S. stores and those outside Greater China, Nike is shuttering its own stores. The sportswear retailer said Sunday it will be closing stores in U.S., Canada, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand “to limit the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).”
Stores will be closed from Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 27. The brand confirmed the closures, first reported by CNBC, to Ad Age but had yet to send an announcement via email to customers early Sunday morning.
The company also said it is “taking additional steps in other Nike-managed facilities, including the option to work from home, staggered work schedules, social distancing and additional safety and cleaning steps to help protect and support our teammates.”
Like many others with factories in China, Nike’s supply chain has been hard-hit by the coronavirus for the past few months.
Nike is one of many brands, both new and established, that announced the difficult decision to close stores to prevent further spreading of COVID-19. Along with Apple on Saturday, direct-to-consumer brands Everlane, Allbirds and Warby Parker told consumers via email they will be closed for roughly two weeks. Urban Outfitters said its namesake and other brands will also be closed.
“Right now, it’s the right thing to do,” read Everlane’s email. The wave of temporary closures is the next step retailers are taking after upgrading their sanitation methods last week. Late last week, Warby Parker executives said they were adjusting in-store procedures, like offering guided tours, to limit germ spreading.
All retailers urged customers to shop online.