Apple and Disney set reopening dates in the US. The companies assured the public they will follow safety protocols.
Apple Inc. announced its plan to reopen 100 more retail stores in the US this week after it was forced to temporarily shut down due to social distancing measures. These measures are implemented across the US to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Several Apple stores will only provide curbside or storefront services. This means customers can go to the Genius Bar for appointments or purchase a product online and pick up at the stores, according to the company.
Walk-in customers are allowed to go to around 40 stores across Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.
Apple (AAPL) started reopening its retail outlets in the US early May. It began with a few stores in Idaho, Alabama, South Carolina, and Alaska. The company will carry out temperature checks and face coverings for staff and guests. Stores will also impose limits on how many customers can go inside the store at a time.
"We are committed to reopening our stores in a very thoughtful manner with the health and safety of our customers and teams as our top priority, and we look forward to seeing our customers again soon," Apple said in a statement.
With 510 stores worldwide, of which 271 are in the US, Apple has reopened around 100 stores around the world to date. These include Austria, China, Germany, Australia, and South Korea.
Disney World reopening
The Walt Disney Company will resume operations after a multi-month closure of the establishment that truly affected the company's revenue.
The Disney theme park has around 70,000 employees. Like Apple, Disney will execute a phased reopening of its Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom parks will start on July 11. EPCOT and Hollywood Studios will begin operations on July 15.
Walt Disney World as well as Disney's Disneyland resort in Anaheim, California, stopped their operations in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Disney will carry out measures to ensure that the reopening is safe. Among these are the wearing of masks for staff and guests. They need to don face coverings and submit to temperature screenings before entering the parks.
Disney will also reduce the number of guests that can enter the parks. On the other hand, the resort will not yet hold parades, fireworks and other events that invite crowds.
The resort will promote cashless transactions through contactless payments. There will also be hand-sanitizing stations in the area.
The plan was approved Wednesday morning by the Orange County government. It still needs approval from Orange County's mayor and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
"The theme parks define Disney for millions of its fans around the world," Robert Niles, editor of ThemeParkInsider.com, said during an interview on CNN Business. "Returning its parks to operation signals that Disney is coming back to full speed as a company again."
"Disney is the market leader in not just the theme park business, but in tourism worldwide," Niles said. "It tells the industry that tourists likely will be back traveling again soon because no one draws tourists like Disney can."
Trip Miller, a Disney shareholder and managing partner at Gullane Capital Partners, believes there are risks in reopening Disney.
"The risk is that coronavirus cases pop up again after opening. What do you do then?" Miller said. "Additionally, managing cast members health and keeping adequate staffing is a big challenge. If a Disney cast member contracts the virus, do you shut down the entire park? An area they were in? Do you refund tickets? You just don't want the happiest place on earth to be seen as a dangerous place."
"I think Chapek is getting a real trial by fire that nobody could have predicted," Miller added. "However, his familiarity with the parks business is an advantage in dealing with this. He will have a unique perspective on how to operate Disney's parks as they reopen in this new world."
