Gap Inc. To Re-Open Stores: Here’s What You Need To Know

Gap Inc. (GPS) announced that it is ready to re-open stores amid the coronavirus pandemic, but a few things will be a little different at the retailer. Here’s what will change.

Gap Inc. is set to open 800 stores by the end of the month, with stores opening in Texas this weekend. The store re-openings include its Old Navy, Athleta, Gap, Banana Republic, Janie and Jack, and Intermix brands.

The apparel retailer is adding “rigorous cleaning” processes at its stores, offering hand sanitizer stations at its front doors along with cash wraps. The company will also temporarily close its fitting rooms and supply face masks to employees while encouraging customers to wear face coverings as well.

Plexiglass shields will be placed by the registers, and signage for social distancing will be placed throughout its stores. Stores will also have reduced hours, and employees will monitor the flow of customers inside the stores.

In addition, Gap Inc. will close restrooms, and quarantine returned merchandise for 24 hours before returning it to the sales floor.

Gap Inc. said it is also looking to expand its curbside pickup, which is currently available at 75 stores, in the coming months. The company also offers 1,000 ship from store locations.

Sonia Syngal, CEO of Gap Inc., said in a statement, “In working with industry partners and public officials to define Safe Shopping practices, we’re eager to begin welcoming our teams and customers back to our stores, and confident in our ability to safely scale North America openings over the coming months in line with local guidelines,”

“We continue to use this crisis as an opportunity at every turn. As we leverage our stores as distribution hubs, lean into the meaningful acceleration of our online business and play forward the learnings from our Asia business where all locations are now open, we believe we’ll be well-positioned as this crisis subsides,” she added.

Gap Inc. closed all of its stores in March and furloughed the majority of its workforce a month later because of the coronavirus pandemic. The company also skipped rent payments in April, warning of its financial situation at the same time.

Shares of Gap Inc. stock were down 3.83% as of 3:28 p.m. EDT on Wednesday.