PVH Corp. announces phased reopening of worldwide stores

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
May 20, 2020

PVH Corp., owner of Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, has announced a phased reopening plan for its stores in the U.S. and around the world, following temporary closings in response to Covid-19. 

On Tuesday, the company said that approximately 180 company-operated stores across all brands are now open in North America, along with 350 in Europe, 1,000 in Asia, 75 in Australia and four in Brazil. 

Reopenings will continue over the next several weeks, as additional localities lift restrictions on retail operations, and with respect to local infection rate trends, store staff readiness and training, and the availability of protective and cleaning equipment and supplies, the company said.

In order to ensure safety, the company has set up new protocols across stores, warehouses and offsite locations. Safety measures across the U.S. and Canada include requiring associates to wear masks and gloves; assigning equipment to associates that will be cleaned after each shift; setting up temperature checks for employees; requiring consumers to wear masks and gloves; instituting social distancing measures in-store and setting up reduced store hours, among other policies. In addition, the company will extend product returns to 90 days, and items will be dated upon return, held in the fitting room area for 72 hours and then treated before being put back on the sales floor. 

Similar practices are being implemented in other countries and regions, the company said. 

“We are so grateful to our retail teams for their unbelievable dedication and hard work helping us get back to business," said Manny Chirico, chairman and CEO of PVH Corp. 

"PVH has long worked to create an inclusive workplace environment where every individual is valued, and we recognize that everyone comes to this crisis with a different personal situation. As we collectively begin to create a ‘new normal,’ we will continue to prioritize health and safety.” 

On a digital front, PVH brands have continued to launch initiatives to stay connected with consumers while the state of physical stores and events remain in flux.

According to PVH, the company is currently experiencing online sales growth "well in excess of the rate achieved in 2019," and believes "overall digital penetration will continue to increase throughout 2020."