Nordstrom, Macy's, Gap share reopening plans and what will change - Business Insider - Business Insider

• Nordstrom, Best Buy, Macy's, Gap, and others are reopening stores after weeks of closures.
• The companies planning to reopen shared details on the changes shoppers should expect, such as fitting-room closures and quarantines of returned goods.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Retailers are reopening stores after weeks of closures because of widespread shelter-at-home orders amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Nordstrom, Best Buy, Macy's, and Gap are among the companies that are planning to start welcoming back shoppers.

But as shoppers return to stores, they will notice many changes. 

Nordstrom and Macy's, for example, will close some fitting rooms and temporarily quarantine items that have been tried on before returning them to the sales floor. Gap is planning to close fitting rooms altogether.

Here's what to expect at each retailer as stores reopen: 

Nordstrom

Bethany Biron/Business Insider

Nordstrom said earlier this month that it's preparing to open its stores in phases and laid out a number of changes that shoppers could expect when they visit. 

In reopened stores, Nordstrom plans to:

• Limit the number of customers in stores at any given time. Employees will be stationed at store entrances to count customers and offer guidance.
• Close some fittings rooms and clean those that remain open after each use.
• Hold clothing that has been tried on or returned for a "period of time" before returning it to the sales floor.
• Increase cleaning and sanitizing, especially around high-traffic areas, like checkout counters.
• Add plexiglass partitions — also known as sneeze guards — to checkout areas.
• Shift to contactless payment options. In other words, customers must pay with cards and not cash.
• Add drive-thru order pickup and dedicated parking spaces for returns.
• Suspend services like alterations; beauty makeovers; skin-care and specialized services like brow shaping and fittings for prostheses and bras; and dining-in services at restaurants. ATMs and water fountains will also be closed.
• Shift from in-person styling appointments to virtual consultations.

Macy's

Bethany Biron/Business Insider

Macy's reopened 68 stores this week and plans to reopen most of its 775 of its stores by mid-June, the company said in a recent presentation.

The states where Macy's stores have already reopened include Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Tennessee.

In reopened stores, Macy's plans to: 

• Place hand-sanitizer stations in high-traffic areas, including entrances, escalators, elevators, and cash registers.
• Install plexiglass shields at registers.
• Close some fitting rooms and frequently sanitize those that remain open.
• Hold items that have been tried on or returned for 24 hours before returning them to the sales floor.
• Implement "no-touch" beauty consultations and bar customers from handling testers. Test products may be used with single-use disposable applicators. 
• Suspend "spalike" services, alterations, bra fittings, and ear piercings.
• Increase the frequency of cleanings in high-traffic areas, including fitting rooms, bathrooms, and break rooms.
• Require customers to use hand sanitizer before trying on jewelry.
• Post signs reminding customers and employees about social distancing and safe hygiene practices.

Best Buy

In this Nov. 23, 2013, file photo, shoppers enter a Best Buy in New York.

Associated Press/Bebeto Matthews

Best Buy said it planned to reopen stores gradually in May. 

Customers will be able to make appointments for in-store consultations at about 200 US Best Buy stores. The company will also offer curbside pickup at its stores.

Here's how the appointment system works: 

• Customers can schedule an appointment online, over the phone, on the Best Buy app, or through the live-chat function.
• Before they arrive, customers will receive confirmation and reminders about their visit.
• A Best Buy employee will call shoppers ahead of time to go over safety measures and discuss what they might be looking for at the store.
• At the time of the appointment, shoppers should go to the store entrance, where a host will check them in and introduce them to the sales associate who will be helping them.
• The associate will shop with the customer, following navigation and safety guidelines provided by signs and stickers on the floor.
• If a customer wants to demo a product, the worker will wipe the product down with disinfectant, let the customer handle it, and then wipe it down again afterward.
• When making a purchase, the customer will be taken to the front register, where there will be sneeze guards. The credit-card machine and screen will be wiped down after each use.
• A Best Buy employee will escort customers outside the store when they have completed their purchase.

Gap

People pass by the GAP clothing retail store in Manhattan, New York

Reuters

Gap said Wednesday it planned to reopen up to 800 of its Gap, Old Navy, Athleta, Banana Republic, Janie and Jack, and Intermix stores before the end of May.

In the reopened stores, Gap will:

• Implement new cleaning routines and install hand-sanitizer stations at front doors and cash wraps.
• Close fitting rooms temporarily.
• Install plexiglass guards at registers.
• Post signage reminding customers to follow social-distancing guidelines.
• Reduce store hours and actively monitor "the flow of customers in stores."
• Temporarily close restrooms and quarantine returns for 24 hours before returning them to the sales floor​.
• Supply employees with face masks and encourage customers to wear face coverings while shopping.

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