Nike Closes Stores, But Promises To Continue To Pay Employees

NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 20: A Nike logo is seen at the Nike flagship store on 5th Ave. on December 20, 2019 in New York City. Revenue in the North American market, which accounts for the majority of Nikes sales, rose 5% from a year ago. The company said its Jordan brand had its first ever billion-dollar quarter. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

As a result of coronavirus, Nike has decided to close all of its stores in the U.S., Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. As CNBC explains, "Workers will still be paid in full during this time off."

In a memo from Nike, they explain, "We are taking additional steps in other Nike-managed facilities, including the option to work from home, staggered work schedules, social distancing and additional safety and cleaning steps to help protect and support our teammates." They add, "Customers can continue to shop on Nike.com and on our Nike apps."

The brand plans to keep stores open in South Korea, Japan, China, and other countries based on their assessment of the virus.

There are currently 384 Nike retails stores in the U.S. Internationally, there are over 750. U.S. store closings begin Monday and go through March 27.