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River Island has announced the temporary closure of its distribution centre in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The fashion retailer said that the move would help to protect its teams and “make sure they can do the right thing to keep their families and community safe”.
The group said that it would fulfill any existing orders but not process any new ones following the closure.
News of the closure comes one day after Asos came under fire for reportedly “playing Russian roulette” with staff in “packed” warehouses and distribution centres.
The GMB Union claimed that thousands of employees continued to work without social distancing measures in place, though Asos later refuted the claim.
Following the closure, River Island said: “The government has said online retailers can ‘operate normally’, but Covid-19 is serious and nothing feels normal at the moment. As a business driven by the love of fashion, we don’t say it often, but some things are just more important.”
“Our warehouse and stores may be closed for a while, but our community is always open. As you stay at home, we want to be there with you, lightening the mood (if we can) and sharing entertainment and inspiration.”
Will Kernan, CEO of River Island said: “I am proud of the dedication of the River Island workforce in response to the huge challenges that we are all facing.
“The difficult choices we have made are to protect the health of our employees who are crucial to the long-term success of our business. I am saddened that this decision will have an impact on customers and partners and apologise for the inconvenience that they will experience until we re-open.”
He added: “I cannot say how long this closure is likely to remain in place, however we will be working to re-open as quickly as possible whilst strictly following government advice to ensure the safety of our communities.
“In the meantime, I would encourage customers to join our online social community where we will be in regular contact to ensure that we all stay connected and everyone can be updated about developments.”
