Macy’s is scaling back its store hours through the end of January in response to the escalating number of COVID-19 cases across the U.S. that’s leading to staffing shortages for retailers, according to a CNBC report Tuesday (Jan. 4).
Macy’s department stores will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday this month, a change for some stores, which had opened at 10 a.m. and closed at 9 p.m. Store hours at Macy’s 516 department stores and 33 Bloomingdale’s locations will stay the same Friday through Sunday, a company spokeswoman told CNBC. Employees will still work their typical number of hours.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and follow the CDC and jurisdictional guidelines as well as keep enhanced safety and wellness procedures in place,” the Macy’s spokeswoman said in an emailed statement.
The number of new COVID-19 cases topped 1 million on Monday (Jan. 3), in part a function of lags in reporting related to the holiday season, but still a sign that the omicron variant has coronavirus numbers surging more than two years after the first case was reported in December 2019.
Macy’s joins other retailers in responding to the evolving health crisis. Last month, Walmart temporarily closed almost 60 U.S. stores in coronavirus hotspots to sanitize them, and Apple has limited service hours at some New York area shops as well as cutting hours and limiting customer counts in stores.
Related: No Rest for Retail as New Year Ushers in Familiar Challenges
The move by Macy’s is another sign that retailers must act quickly to respond to ever-changing conditions across the shopping landscape — and they seem to be getting the hang of it after doing it for a while now and with the promise that eCommerce has shown since the pandemic landed on American soil.
Mastercard projected an 8.5% growth in total sales in December, including 11% growth in online sales. PYMNTS research, meanwhile, shows that one-third of U.S. consumers made an online purchase in December.
We’re always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with innovators and disruptors.
Learn More