Columbia and Hudson’s Bay reopen stores with safety measures in place

As lockdown measures ease in certain states and provinces across the US and Canada, many stores are able to reopen. Columbia Sportswear and Hudson’s Bay have started offering in-store service again, with a focus placed on abiding by safety guidelines and supporting Covid-19 relief efforts.

Columbia Sportswear

On Friday, the outdoor apparel and footwear brand reopened 30 stores in ten states throughout the US and reappointed 250 of its furloughed retail workers. Protective measures have been introduced in all stores, including the mandatory wearing of face masks, social distancing guidelines and delaying the restocking of garments that were tried on in fitting rooms for 24 hours. Following the first reopening of a Columbia store in Nebraska, the company has now reopened a total of 31 stores.

Columbia Sportswear has also launched a checkout charity campaign to help fund Covid-19 relief efforts, in addition to the outdoor clothing, including rain and fleece jackets, that it donated to frontline healthcare workers at Providence Health Hospital and other select healthcare organizations.

Hudson’s Bay

The Canadian department store has announced that it will be reopening its stores throughout the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba on Tuesday, May 19. For customers who prefer to shop contactless, the company is additionally offering curbside pickup at most locations.

Hudson’s Bay has similarly introduced in-store safety protocols, including enhanced cleaning, directional signage for social distancing and adjusted services for health and safety, such as beauty sampling. In order to thoroughly clean stores, opening hours have been reduced to 12pm to 5pm daily. On Tuesdays, stores will open an hour earlier for frontline workers, seniors and those with disabilities.

The company has further announced that it will permanently close its Edmonton city center location in the fall, with “transfer opportunities for associates to be explored”.

Photo Credit: Columbia Sportswear, Facebook