Aritzia closing all retail locations in response to coronavirus pandemic

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Aritzia is the latest retailer to announce the closure of its stores in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an announcement made on Sunday evening, Aritzia said all stores will be temporarily shuttering as of Monday, March 16.

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A letter to our Community: We know you’re being overwhelmed with news about COVID-19, and we know it’s a lot right now. Here, at Aritzia, you, our loyal clients are at the heart of what we do and why we do it. We’re committed to being both responsive and responsible, navigating these times with everyone’s safety in mind. We recognize that others are dealing with far more complex and impactful challenges than where we find ourselves. Our goal is to do our part for the global well-being. HEALTH AND SAFETY As of Monday, March 16, we’ll be closing our retail locations until further notice. Based on the information we have, we feel this is the best decision for our people, our clients, our partners, and our community as a whole. In addition, we’ll be shifting all Support Office employees to flexible working arrangements. It goes without saying, we’ll take every measure to keep our environments and our people safe. These are complicated times, things are changing quickly and we’re committed to keeping you informed. ARITZIA COMMUNITY™ RELIEF FUND Aritzia is committed to providing the financial continuity of both our internal team and the employees of our overseas partners impacted by COVID-19. ALL OF ARITZIA’S PROFITS while we get through this challenging time, will go to the Aritzia Community™ Relief Fund to support our people and their families. OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU Should you need some normalcy, aritzia.com will continue to be there for you. We’ve significantly increased precautionary measures to ensure the well-being of our Aritzia Concierge and Distribution Centres so that you, the women who love Aritzia, can continue to enjoy Everyday Luxury. Everything we’re doing is with input from people throughout the Aritzia team. As we navigate this complex and changing landscape, we’re being challenged on a daily basis. We’re doing our best to balance what’s right for our people, our clients, our partners, and our communities. Let’s continue to take care of each other. Your Aritzia.

A post shared by Aritzia (@aritzia) on Mar 15, 2020 at 7:05pm PDT

“Based on the information we have, we feel this is the best decision for our people, our clients, our partners, and our community as a whole,” said the company.

All Support Office employees will be shifting to flexible working arrangements and the company has set up the Aritzia Company Relief Fund to support employees.

“Aritzia is committed to providing the financial continuity of both our internal team and the employees of our overseas partners impacted by COVID-19. All of Aritzia’s profits while we get through this challenging time, will go to the Aritzia Community™ Relief Fund to support our people and their families.”

Over the weekend, several major retailers including lululemon, Nike, Urban Outfitters, and Lush announced temporary store closures. Starbucks Canada also announced it will be temporarily closing its “high-social gathering” locations for at least two weeks.

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