Kohl’s Re-Opens Some Stores: Reduced Hours, Face Masks For Employees, New Returns Process, And More

Kohl’s (KSS) is reportedly re-opening some of its stores that were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The company has decided to resume operation at its stores in Arkansas, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah, with stores opening on Monday, the Milwaukee Business Journal reported. Kohl’s did not indicate if all or some of the stores in the states would be re-opened.

To combat the coronavirus, Kohl’s said it will implement a series of new safety measures that include reduced store hours, dedicated shopping hours for those individuals that are at high risk of contracting the coronavirus, social distancing efforts, and enhanced cleaning protocols, the news out said.

Kohl’s employees will reportedly wear masks and gloves and come back to work on a volunteer basis. The retailer will also use a new returns process that will affect both Kohl’s purchases and Amazon orders.

“We’ve created new safety protocols to make sure that product is handled appropriately – safe for customers, safe for associates,” Michelle Gass told the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. during a webinar (via Milwaukee Business Journal).

“We’ll have a dedicated Amazon station and a dedicated Kohl’s return station. All those details really need to be thought through, and all of our associates coming back to work – when they come back to work – are going to go through a very rigorous training to make sure they know how to operate in this new normal,” she added.

Kohl’s closed all of its stores on March 19 and furloughed thousands of workers during the closures. The company continued to offer online purchases during the COVID-19 crisis and started curbside pickup at its stores in April.

Kohl’s has eight stores in Arkansas, 11 in Oklahoma, 16 in South Carolina, and 12 in Utah. Throughout the U.S., Kohl’s has 1,159 stores.

Shares of Kohl's stock were up 0.41% as of 9:49 a.m. EDT on Wednesday.