Columbia Sportswear Reopens 30 US Stores Today

The brand will bring 250 furloughed employees back to work in 10 states while keeping an eye on safety, it said.

Columbia Sportswear Company, one of the largest active outdoor lifestyle apparel, footwear, accessory, and equipment brands worldwide, will reopen 30 of its branded stores today. According to the brand, all stores will “prioritize a safe environment for customers and employees.”

Columbia will require face coverings for employees, adjust store layouts for social distancing, and delay the restocking of clothes tried on in fitting rooms for 24 hours. In addition, employees will clean high-touch points regularly, and cashiers will wear gloves.

This reopening of 30 stores follows Columbia’s first store reopening in Nebraska last week.

Columbia: E-Commerce Operational

“Now that we have all spent so much time indoors, we’re looking forward to helping our customers get outdoors and enjoy the beauty of summer,” the brand said in a statement.

Although COVID-19 forced the company to shutter its stores across the U.S. and the world, its e-commerce business continued. The U.S. distribution centers and call center have largely remained operational throughout this period to serve the growing online business at Columbia.com, as well as CSC’s other brands: MountainHardwear.com, SOREL.com, and prAna.com.

“We are excited to be opening our stores, helping our consumers gear up to head outdoors, and welcoming our retail employees back to work,” said Tim Boyle, the company’s chairman, president, and CEO.

“I want to thank our distribution center and call center employees who came to work every day under difficult circumstances. We could not have kept our online business working without them.”

Community Service

The company — mindful of the hardships and burdens COVID-19 placed on individuals and communities — will launch a checkout charity campaign to help fund relief efforts in the communities where it operates.

The campaign is part of Columbia’s ongoing community outreach, which also included giving outdoor clothing to frontline staff at Providence Health and other select healthcare organizations in 10 states and the District of Columbia. This gear will help keep frontline workers protected from the weather as they support drive-through testing sites and other essential work for their communities.

After ensuring that stringent health and safety standards can be met, the company expects to continue opening its U.S. stores during the coming months with guidance from state and local authorities and communities.

“We still have a long way to go with COVID-19,” said Boyle. “Opening stores, enjoying the great outdoors, and helping each other shows there is light at the end of the tunnel and that we are truly tougher together.”

List of Store Openings: