Macy’s to temporarily close all stores due to virus outbreak

(Reuters) – Macy’s Inc on Tuesday joined Nordstrom Inc to temporarily close all of its stores in the United States, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Nordstrom said on Monday it would temporarily shut its stores in the U.S. and Canada and withdrew its fiscal 2020 forecast. Macy’s, which owns over 800 stores, said it would continue to operate its e-commerce sites.

Macy’s, along with Saks Fifth Avenue and Gap Inc’s Banana Republic, last week sent notices to shoppers that they were open for business in a move to stem losses due to a steep decline in traffic.

The fast-spreading virus, which has killed about a hundred and infected over 4,000 in the United States, has been a big headache for retailers who are already struggling with falling sales due to stiff competition and a shift to online shopping.

(Reporting by Nivedita Balu in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)