Kohl’s to reopen 25% of stores as states lift lockdown restrictions

(Reuters) – Kohl’s Corp said on Thursday it plans to reopen a quarter of its stores by next week, as retailers start to get business going again in states where coronavirus-induced lockdown restrictions have eased.

The department store operator said stores in four U.S. states had already reopened earlier this week and outlets in 10 more states would open on Monday.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co and cash-strapped Gap Inc on Wednesday also laid out plans to reopen their stores, as more than half of U.S. states ease restrictions on business activity in an effort to restart their economies.

However, the shopping experience will be greatly changed, with Kohl’s saying it would keep fitting rooms closed, reduce operating hours and encourage shoppers to maintain distance with one another.

(Reporting by Uday Sampath in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)