SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE: WSM), a leading home specialty retailer of high-quality, sustainable products for the home, announced today that it will extend its temporary closure of all U.S. and Canada stores through May 3, 2020, as most locations remain under shelter-in-place orders.
“In support of continued efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, our stores in North America will remain closed through May 3. We will continue to provide pay and benefits during this extended period of closures for associates who had been regularly working more than 12 hours weekly. We are also activating the Williams-Sonoma, Inc. Foundation for grants to associates who are experiencing severe financial hardship due to the impact of COVID-19. We take our responsibility to all our stakeholders very seriously, and we will continue to take action to support and protect the health and safety of our associates and customers, while best positioning our business for the long-term,” said Laura Alber, President and Chief Executive Officer.
Alber continued, “Our people are at the heart of who we are as a company. We are proud of the many ways they are embracing our digital first, design led platform to stay connected with our customers and to continue to meet their needs online, including through complimentary design and product recommendation services such as “Design Chat” and “Ask the Expert”. We are inspired by how our teams are pulling together during this pandemic and look forward to the day when we can safely welcome customers back to our stores.”
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions that, if they do not fully materialize or are proven incorrect, could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include statements relating to our plans for reopening stores and our plans to continue to operate our e-commerce sites. The risks and uncertainties that could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include the risk that we are unable to open stores as currently planned, the scope and duration of the COVID-19 coronavirus and its impact on customer demand, and our ability to continue to operate our e-commerce sites uninterrupted.
ABOUT WILLIAMS-SONOMA, INC.
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is a specialty retailer of high-quality products for the home. These products, representing distinct merchandise strategies — Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, West Elm, Pottery Barn Teen, Williams Sonoma Home, Rejuvenation, and Mark and Graham — are marketed through e-commerce websites, direct-mail catalogs and retail stores. These brands are also part of The Key Rewards, our free-to-join loyalty program that offers members exclusive benefits across the Williams-Sonoma family of brands. We operate in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, offer international shipping to customers worldwide, and have unaffiliated franchisees that operate stores in the Middle East, the Philippines, Mexico and South Korea, as well as e-commerce websites in certain locations. In 2017, we acquired Outward, Inc., a 3-D imaging and augmented reality platform for the home furnishings and décor industry.
WSM-PR
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Elise Wang
Investor Relations & Corporate Public Relations
(415) 616 8571
Source: Williams-Sonoma, Inc.