Coronavirus: Patagonia shuts down, employees still paid
Sporting goods retailer Patagonia is shuttering physical stores and its web store for the foreseeable future Friday.
CNBC reported the privately held business announced the news in a memo to employees Friday. A similar notice to customers was posted to the company's Twitter page and the company press website.
»COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS
“As COVID-19 spreads—and is now officially a pandemic—we are taking additional safety measures to protect our employees and customers,” Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario told employees and customers. “The scale of impact is still unknown, and we want to do our part to protect our community especially while testing availability is unknown.”
No word was given on when business will reopen, but employees will be paid regularly.
“We will temporarily close our stores, offices and other operations at the end of business on Friday, March 13, 2020,” the memo said. “Employees who can work from home will do so. All Patagonia employees will receive their regular pay during the closure. We apologize that over the next two weeks, there will be delays on orders and customer-service requests. We ask for your understanding and patience. We will reassess and post an update on March 27, 2020.”
Customers were told in a separate message to check the website March 16 for updates on orders.
The full statement can be read below:
We will temporarily close our stores, offices and other operations at the end of business on Friday, March 13, 2020. Employees who can work from home will do so. All Patagonia employees will receive their regular pay during the closure.
— Patagonia (@patagonia) March 13, 2020
We encourage our friends everywhere to take the extra precautions necessary to safeguard their health and that of others. It’s everyone’s responsibility to help stop the spread of this virus. The CDC and your local health authorities are the best resources for updates & answers.
— Patagonia (@patagonia) March 13, 2020
Thank you for your business, loyalty and patience.
— Patagonia (@patagonia) March 13, 2020
Rose Marcario
CEO and President
Patagonia, Inc
About the Author
Kelcie Willis is a writer and online content producer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Sociology from the University of Georgia. At the AJC, she covers state, regional and national news with the Content Curation Desk.
