Gap Closes North America Stores as Coronavirus Spreads
Gap Inc. (GPS), will temporarily shut all of its shops across North America as the COVID-19 pandemic escalates, the clothing and accessories retailer said in a statement today.
The closure will start on March 19 and include all of its store brands including Old Navy, Athleta, Banana Republic, Gap, Janie and Jack and Intermix stores across North America.
Wall Street analysts have a negative outlok on Gap, rating the retailer with a moderate sell and an average price target of $13.62.
The company’s shares have slumped since the beginning of the year closing at $8.35 on Tuesday getting closer to their 52-week low of $6.79.
“To assist the efforts underway to slow the spread of the coronavirus, we are closing all stores in North America for the next two weeks,” said Sonia Syngal, incoming Gap CEO. “Our focus remains on supporting the health and livelihood of our employees, while caring for our customers and communities.”
Gap said it will continue to pay store employees their salaries and benefits during a two-week period.
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