Nike is now closing shop to contain the coronavirus.
According to CNBC, is closing all of its stores in the U.S., along with other parts of the world, to try to stop the spread of the new coronavirus, the company said Sunday morning.
Stores across the U.S., Canada, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand will all close starting Monday, March 16th through March 27th, but thankfully workers will still be paid in full during their time off a CNBC spokesperson confirmed. However, Nike is still keeping open its stores in South Korea, Japan, most of China and in “many other countries,” based on daily assessments of the pandemic.
Nike joins a growing list of companies taking similar measures. Retailers including Patagonia, Apple, Warby Parker, Urban Outfitters, Glossier and Allbirds are shutting their stores in the U.S. Walmart and Lululemon are among the retailers that are limiting store hours.
For what its worth, Nike has 384 retail locations in the U.S. alone, including and outlet stores. There's an additional 750 international locations according to SEC filings.
The latest numbers from Johns Hopkins University have the total number of reported coronavirus cases north of 156,000, with at least 5,833 deaths. We'll continue to keep you posted. Stay safe.