// Arcadia Group the latest major retail company to announce temporary store closures
// Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins, Evans & Burton are closing until further notice due to the coronavirus crisis
// Arcadia confirmed that store staff were not being being redundant and they would paid
Arcadia Group has become the latest major retail chain to announce a temporary closure of all of its 500-plus sores across the UK and Ireland amid the coronavirus crisis.
A spokesman for Sir Philip Green’s retail empire confirmed that store staff were not being being redundant and they would paid their usual wages.
However, he said the parent company of fashion retailers Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins, Evans and Burton would continue to “review the situation”.
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“The health and wellbeing of our employees, customers and communities remains our highest priority and we continue to closely follow the government guidelines,” Arcadia stated.
“In line with many other retailers the group has made the difficult decision to close until further notice all of our stores from 4pm this afternoon [March 20].
“All store staff remain employees during this time and will be paid their normal pay for March plus any outstanding overtime payments, after which we will review this situation and will be keeping our store teams updated.
“In the meantime we will be focusing on our digital and social platforms to keep our customers engaged during this challenging time.”
The temporary store closures come as Arcadia is in the middle of a major restructure through a CVA, which has already seen it permanently shut down at least 12 stores since the Christmas trading season.
Nonetheless, the retail giant is not alone in announcing temporary store closures when a government-mandated lockdown is not in place like in neighbouring European countries.
Clarks, one of the biggest privately-owned retail businesses in the UK, was the first major British retailer to have announced store closures due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Ikea, which employs around 11,000 staff across 22 stores in the UK, is another retailer that has announced temporary store closures.
TK Maxx has also closed down its 349 stores until further notice, as has stablemate Homesense and its 78 stores.
Department stores Fenwick and Selfridges have already closed their stores as well.
Activewear retailer Sweaty Betty temporarily closed all of its stores internationally, including its 50 in the UK, and Oxfam closed its 600-plus high street charity shops until further notice.
Other retailers that have announced temporary store closures include Boden, Nike and Calvin Klein.
Meanwhile, Apple said it would close all of its stores outside of China until further notice.
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