SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE: WSM), a leading home specialty retailer of high-quality, sustainable products for the home, announced today that it will extend its temporary closure of U.S. and Canada stores through May 31st, 2020 in locations where retail restrictions have not been lifted. The company will continue to re-open stores on a market-by-market basis consistent with local and state government guidelines.
“Our priority is the health and safety of our associates, customers and communities, and we are committed to creating a safe and comfortable shopping environment while continuing to deliver a superior experience for our customers. We are closely following CDC and government guidelines and have in place strict safety protocols including regular sanitization, limitation on the number of customers and associates in-store, appointment shopping, and a supply of protective equipment such as masks and gloves for associates. Our stores are an important differentiator for our business, and we are excited to welcome our customers back to our stores,” said Laura Alber, President and Chief Executive Officer.
Alber continued, “We are proud to be able to continue providing pay and benefits for associates who had been regularly working more than 12 hours weekly at stores that remain temporarily closed. Our people have been at the core of our resilience during this crisis and we are confident that together we will emerge as an even stronger company.”
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions that, if they do not fully materialize or are proven incorrect, could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include statements relating to our plans for reopening stores and our plans to continue to operate our e-commerce sites. The risks and uncertainties that could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include the risk that we are unable to open stores as currently planned, the scope and duration of the COVID-19 coronavirus and its impact on customer demand, and our ability to continue to operate our e-commerce sites uninterrupted.
ABOUT WILLIAMS-SONOMA, INC.
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is a specialty retailer of high-quality products for the home. These products, representing distinct merchandise strategies — Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, West Elm, Pottery Barn Teen, Williams Sonoma Home, Rejuvenation, and Mark and Graham — are marketed through e-commerce websites, direct-mail catalogs and retail stores. These brands are also part of The Key Rewards, our free-to-join loyalty program that offers members exclusive benefits across the Williams-Sonoma family of brands. We operate in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, offer international shipping to customers worldwide, and have unaffiliated franchisees that operate stores in the Middle East, the Philippines, Mexico and South Korea, as well as e-commerce websites in certain locations. In 2017, we acquired Outward, Inc., a 3-D imaging and augmented reality platform for the home furnishings and décor industry.
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