U.S. retailers are closing some of their stores across the country because of disruptions caused by the widespread street protests over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. On Sunday, Target, CVS, Apple and Walmart all said that they had temporarily closed or limited hours at some locations for safety reasons. In some places, their stores have been burned, broken into or looted as protests turned violent.
Amazon said Sunday that it has adjusted its routes and suspended deliveries to keep its drivers safe in some cities, including Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle and Minneapolis. A spokeswoman also said Amazon is also abiding by local curfews that have required people to remain off streets after a specified hour at night.
Target, which is based in Minneapolis, said it has closed six stores for an extended period. Some of the worst damage was seen at its Lake Street store near where Floyd was killed. Footage showed people walking away with merchandise as smoke filled the store. The company said Sunday it was boarding up the store. Another of its stores in Minneapolis remains closed, along with stores in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Chicago and Oakland, California.
Walmart said it closed hundreds of stores late Sunday afternoon to protect employees and customers. CVS didn’t say how many stores it closed but said it shuttered locations are in more than 20 states and the District of Columbia. A spokeswoman said pharmacies at closed stores will reroute customers to a nearby CVS so they can get prescriptions filled. And Apple said it decided to keep some of its stores closed Sunday. It didn’t say how many were affected.
Editorial credit: Justin Berken / Shutterstock.com