Malls cut hours, stores close during outbreak
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/03/2020 (2211 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Some Winnipeg malls have decided to reduce hours of operation while a few stores are closing or rolling back hours because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cadillac Fairview, which operates CF Polo Park, announced on Saturday it would open weekdays at 11 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. It said these measures will be reassessed in two weeks. They normally close at 9 p.m.
“Our first priority is the health and safety of our guests, tenants/their employees and our employees across our portfolio,” a Cadillac Fairview statement said.
“At this point, public health has not advised us to close our shopping malls.”
Similar operating hours have been put in place at the Grant Park Shopping Centre, Kildonan Place and Outlet Collection Winnipeg. It is not known whether St. Vital Centre and Garden City Shopping Centre will follow suit.
The malls in Winnipeg are joining a continent-wide trend, with retailers and shopping centres across North America curtailing hours in light of the pandemic. One American official is proposing a 14-day national shutdown to wrestle the coronavirus threat to the ground.
As well, some individual retailers are making the decision to close for the time being, while others also limit their hours. The closures include Apple stores, Urban Outfitters and Lululemon, while Mountain Equipment Co-op is reducing its hours to noon to 6 p.m.
Michael LeBlanc, of the Retail Council of Canada, said that the retail sector is just one of many sectors that have been affected by COVID-19.
“We want to make clear we are not talking about grocery stores and pharmacies — they are still open,” LeBlanc said on Sunday.
“And, while we’ve all seen images of empty shelves in stores, you have to remember that they have seen two months of sales in two days. They will restock. They are not running out.”
LeBlanc said the retail sector accounts for 2.1 million Canadian jobs and 10 per cent of the Manitoba workforce.
kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
History
Updated on Monday, March 16, 2020 6:33 AM CDT: Corrects typo