Major Retailers Call on States to Adopt Uniform Reopening Plans
- Retailers want to reopen all supply-chain warehouses at once
- Trade groups outline phased plan to restart U.S. retailers
People line up to buy goods at supermarkets at Walmart and Costco in New Jersey, U.S. on April 18.
Photographer: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
The top two trade groups representing major retailers such as Walmart Inc., Target Corp. and Best Buy Co. are calling on governors to adopt uniform reopening standards as the pandemic subsides, including allowing warehouses and distribution centers nationwide to reopen all at once, rather than state-by-state.
As states, cities, and companies big and small struggle over when and how to restart the economy, the Retail Industry Leaders Association and the National Retail Federation have some ideas. On Monday, they’re sending a six-page memo to governors outlining a three-phased plan for how stores can maintain public safety once they are allowed to reopen their doors to customers. The guidelines call for stores to have “robust” health and safety protocols in place, including sanitation and social-distancing procedures.