Williams-Sonoma Inc. Extends Store Closures

April 2, 2020  by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Industry   

“As the coronavirus outbreak continues, we are highly focused on all of our stakeholders. We have made the decision to keep our stores in North America closed for an additional two weeks and we will continue to pay our store associates for their scheduled time and provide benefits through these two weeks of extended closures, just as we have since March 18 when the store closures first came into effect. Our people are our most important asset and we are proud of the agility, creativity and commitment they have shown to keep us connected to our customers during this challenging time,” said Laura Alber, president and CEO.

All of Williams-Sonoma’s corporate offices remain closed with associates working from home. The company will continue to pay its corporate employees and has reassigned individuals whose previous jobs were related to retail or who could not work from home.

Associates in the company’s distribution centers are continuing operations to support e-commerce business so customers can continue to shop online. The company is paying these associates bonuses for their work during this critical time, and closely following CDC guidelines for health and safety, including social distancing and increased levels of sanitation.

Alber continued, “We are following the COVID-19 situation closely, taking into account available guidance provided by government and public health officials, and adjusting our response strategies, with our associates, customers and community at the center of everything we do. With our committed team, our resilient balance sheet and strong e-commerce business at over 56% of total revenues, we are in a strong position to address the near-term challenges and we look forward to welcoming our customers back to our stores.”