Uniqlo shuts all stores in US over coronavirus

Coronavirus fears led to a historic drop in US stocks, shut borders, and disrupted daily life around the world, as governments took increasingly drastic measures to try to reduce the severity of the global outbreak.

Against this background, Japan’s Fast Retailing (9983.T) said on March 17 that it had decided to temporarily close all 50 of its Uniqlo clothing stores in the US due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The move comes after retailers, including Nike Inc (NKE.N) and Lululemon Athletica Inc (LULU.O) announced similar closures as the highly contagious respiratory illness spread beyond China.

Fast Retailing said on March 16 that only 30 of its 750 Uniqlo stores in China were still closed, meaning most of its shops outside Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak had reopened.