After a 78-day coronavirus-induced lockdown, New York City has reopened to the public — but a number of major retail outposts remain closed.
Department store Macy’s, specialty chain Gap, fast-fashion giant H&M and footwear maker New Balance, as well as Tapestry brands Coach, Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman, are among the retailers that have opted to keep their doors shuttered as the COVID-19 health crisis, coupled with ongoing national unrest, continues to hinder their businesses’ ability to return to a new normal.
In mid-March, Gov. Andrew Cuomo enacted the “NY on PAUSE” executive order that led all nonessential businesses, schools and offices to shut down in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, which has killed 30,300 people across the state. As part of the first phase of reopening (with four phases in total), New York’s nonessential businesses, which include retail stores, are permitted to conduct business through curbside pickup, while workers in the construction and manufacturing sectors have gone back to work.
However, not all retailers are rushing to open their doors — particularly as looting has erupted across parts of the country, leaving many stores damaged. In the wake of the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man,

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