A popular clothing retailer at Coquitlam Centre mall has been shut due to a potential exposure of COVID-19.
A spokesperson for Aritzia, one of the mall’s flagship stores, confirmed that the store is temporarily closed due to an exposure that took place outside of the workplace.
“We have voluntarily chosen to temporarily close our Coquitlam Centre boutique out of an abundance of caution,” said spokesperson Mary Fraser in a written statement.
An investigation is being led by Fraser Health, which will assess the extent of the exposure and trace any contacts.
A full list of our health and safety measures is available on the company’s website at https://www.aritzia.com/en/aritzia/covid-19.html.
The boutique retailer reopened in May following a lengthy closure due to the pandemic. But in that time, it had taken a massive financial hit and has reportedly struggled to confront consumer shifts as the pandemic continues.
By the end of May, Aritzia Inc. expected its net revenue is about 45% lower for the current quarter compared with the same time last year due to COVID-19 related store closures and despite a significant spike in online sales.
The company expects net revenue for the three months ending May 31 to fall to between $105 million and $110 million, compared with about $197 million in the first quarter last year, the company said Thursday.
"This reflects two weeks of decelerating retail revenues in March prior to our boutique closures," said CEO and founder Brian Hill during a conference call with analysts.
