But other chains like TJX, the owner of T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, Kohl’s and Starbucks remained open as of Wednesday morning, putting their employees — many of them relatively low-paid hourly workers — at potential risk. The retail industry has endured a recent raft of bankruptcies and closures, as well as the pressure of new tariffs in the past year. Nevin Muni, who works part time at a T.J. Maxx in Queens, went to work on Tuesday in the stock room. She was given extra hours because a few other workers had called in sick, but the store was mostly empty. “This crisis is really shining a light on inequality across our nation and economy,” said Liz Dunn, the founder of Pro4ma, a retail analytics company.

Source: New York Times March 18, 2020 19:30 UTC