One of the biggest outdoor brands has temporarily shut down all operations.
Earlier today, Patagonia released a statement informing customers that the brand was shutting down all its operations for the time being, including operation centers, stores, and even its online services.
The following is the letter Patagonia CEO and President Rose Marcario wrote regarding the shutdown:
Dear Patagonia community,
As COVID-19 spreads — and is now officially a pandemic—we are taking additional safety measures to protect our employees and customers. The scale of impact is still unknown, and we want to do our part to protect our community especially while testing availability is unknown.We will temporarily close our stores, offices and other operations at the end of business on Friday, March 13, 2020. Employees who can work from home will do so. All Patagonia employees will receive their regular pay during the closure. We apologize that over the next two weeks, there will be delays on orders and customer-service requests. We ask for your understanding and patience.
We encourage our friends everywhere to take the extra precautions necessary to safeguard their health and that of others. It’s everyone’s responsibility to help stop the spread of this virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and your local health authorities are the best resources for updates and answers to questions.
Over the years, as our Patagonia community has been faced with challenges, I have always been inspired by how we emerge stronger and with an even deeper sense of purpose. We will persevere through this challenge, too.
Thank you for your business, loyalty and patience.
Further Updates
In the wake of the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 in the U.S., numerous cities have declared states of emergency, followed by President Trump declaring a national state of emergency.
And governments have posted updated preventative measures regarding business operations and public gatherings. It is noble to see brands responding with preventative measures as strong as this one.
“To do our part to protect our community, we are temporarily shutting down our operations,” reads Patagonia’s website. “This means we are unable to accept orders [online].”
Patagonia will issue an update regarding its operations and online orders on Monday, March 16.
