Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE: LEVI) today announced it will temporarily close its owned and operated retail locations in the United States and Canada as of Monday, March 16, in response to the coronavirus and the guidance of public health officials in both countries. The company expects these stores to remain closed through March 27, 2020. Store employees will be paid for all scheduled hours during the closure.
“We are facing an unprecedented global pandemic, and our first priority is to do the right thing for the health and safety of our employees and our consumers,” said Chip Bergh, president and chief executive officer of Levi Strauss & Co. “Effective immediately, we are electing to close our stores in the U.S. and Canada and encourage people to follow public health guidelines and take care of one another and their communities. We have faced many challenges in our 167-year history, and we will continue to navigate difficult times as we always have–by putting our people first and managing this business for the long term.”
These temporary closures do not affect the company’s online operations.
The company will provide a more detailed update during its fiscal first quarter 2020 earnings call scheduled for April 7, 2020.
