Urban Outfitters group temporarily closes stores around the globe due to coronavirus

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Mar 16, 2020

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based retail company Urban Outfitters, Inc. has announced that it will be closing all of its stores around the globe in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

These closings, effective March 14, will include the complete portfolio of the company's global consumer brands, including its Anthropologie, Bhldn, Free People, Terrain, Urban Outfitters and Nuuly brands. The company said the stores will remain closed until at least March 28, while it will continue to operate its e-commerce and subscription businesses. 

"The global spread of COVID-19 is affecting every one of us," the company said on Sunday. "The safety and health of our communities, including our loyal customers and dedicated associates, is always of the utmost importance to us...In an effort to protect our communities, we have decided to close all of our stores around the globe."

The company went on to detail the internal precautions it is taking in response to the virus:

"We will continue to pay our store teams during this time," the company said. "In our offices globally, we have asked our corporate employees whose jobs allow them to work remotely to do so for the foreseeable future. We have divided employees who cannot work remotely into shifts to reduce density at our corporate offices and create social distance. We have also enhanced regular cleaning protocols in these spaces and stand ready to deeply and completely clean them as necessary."

Urban Outfitters is the latest company to announce mass temporary closings in response to the coronavirus outbreak sweeping the globe, joining retailers and brands like Nike, Glossier, Everlane and Patagonia, among others.