A sign of the times we will likely be seeing much more of soon. The only public gathering spots still open are America’s retail stores—and they will undoubtedly be next to close amid the coronavirus pandemic. While it does not call for mandatory closings of retail stores, according to a San Francisco Chronicle report, “grocery stores and pharmacies will remain open, and restaurants may stay open to provide takeout food only. The haves and have-nots in American retailing are about to be redefined in a way the industry has never seen before. Update: For a current list of all retail store closings, go to my stupidbusiness.com post:New Update On Coronavirus Store Closings: Williams Sonoma, Tommy Hilfiger, Izod

Source: Forbes March 17, 2020 15:11 UTC