![]() ![]() In response to a question about how it ensures stores stick to the maximum number of customers, the Home Depot spokeswoman said that “we would certainly want to know and be able to look into if associates aren’t following this guidance.” But, one full-time Home Depot employee in Georgia said that her store manager was purposely letting in more than 150 customers, seemingly to drive more sales to the store. ![]() The Home Depot spokeswoman said the exact number varies depending on the size of the store. Two Home Depot employees said that their stores were told to let a maximum of 150 customers in store at a time. Two Lowe’s employees that it seemed that their stores were receiving higher foot traffic because Home Depot’s stores were closing earlier than theirs, based on the fact that multiple customers had told them they came to Lowe’s specifically because Home Depot was closing earlier.īoth hardware stores have also taken steps to mitigate the number of customers in store, to varying degrees of success. From March 23 to April 2, Lowe’s stores were open until 8:30 p.m. while Lowe’s is now closing its stores at 7 p.m. Like other essential retailers, the safety precautions that Home Depot and Lowe’s have rolled out continues to grow as the coronavirus outbreak has worsened. “The health and well-being of our associates and customers is our top priority, and we cannot thank our associates enough for their hard work and dedication supporting our communities during this time when we are needed most,” the Lowe’s spokesperson said. “As an essential retailer to the communities we serve, we’re committed to keeping stores open just as we always do during times of crisis and natural disaster,” the spokeswoman added. The Kansas-based Lowe’s employee expressed worry that if Lowe’s does that, sales will drop so much many employees will be out of a job.Ī Home Depot spokeswoman said that the goal of canceling its Spring Black Friday promotions was to “prevent driving traffic to stores for non-essential items.” Some employees floated the idea of Home Depot and Lowe’s shutting down non-essential departments like garden goods, or moving to curbside pick up only. Over the weekend, it was reported that two Walmart employees at the same Chicago-area store died after contracting the coronavirus. And, with few regulations in place about just how much retailers need to discourage non-essential foot traffic, they are placed in an unprecedented position of having to figure out to discourage non-essential purchases during their busiest sales season.Īdditionally, anxiety among retail workers about contracting the coronavirus is at an all-time high. While Home Depot and Lowe’s don’t break out exactly how much revenue their spring sales events drive, each year both retailers hire between roughly 50,000 and 80,000 temporary associates during the spring, a sign of just how important of a season it is to them. A Lowe’s spokesperson said that the company was still offering deals because “while some retailers have taken steps to eliminate value pricing, we recognize the importance of continuing to offer value to our customers in this time of economic uncertainty.” Meanwhile, Lowe’s is still running its Spring Black Friday promotions. ![]() Home Depot announced last week that it would be canceling its “Spring Black Friday” promotions, which is usually a multi-week long event. Hardware stores then face a conundrum: how much to discourage shoppers to come into the store for non-essential needs while staying open for essential needs. There is nothing essential about topsoil,” a full-time Lowe’s employee in Kansas said. Two said that they had had multiple shoppers tell them that they went to a Home Depot or Lowe’s just because they were bored and they were one of the few places open. Several of the employees Modern Retail spoke with expressed frustration at seeing people’s carts filled just with plants. These employees worry that shoppers aren’t taking the right safety precautions and could inadvertently get employees sick. But, an ongoing source of frustration for many hardware store employees in recent days has been how many shoppers are still coming to the store for non-essential items. ![]()
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