Simon Property Group plans to reopen 49 of its malls and outlet centers between May 1 and May 4, according to an internal memo obtained by CNBC. The mall owners will be providing free CDC-approved masks and hand sanitizing packets to the shoppers who ask for them while also offering free temperature testing available to customers using infrared thermometers.
Simon Property Group is reopening 49 of its malls and outlet centers between May 1 and May 4, the memo said, including Haywood Mall in Greenville, South Carolina, and Lenox Square in Atlanta.
Business hours at the malls and outlet centers are going to be limited to 11 am to 7 pm Monday through Saturday, and noon to 6 pm Sunday, to allow for cleaning overnight, according to the memo. Simon said it will regularly be sanitizing high-touch areas like food court tables, escalators, door knobs and electronic directories. And it is encouraging retailers to do the same in their stores.
Meantime, Simon said it will encourage — but not enforce — shoppers to take their temperatures before going to the mall. It said it will encourage individuals to wear masks or some sort of facial coverings while they shop. Simon is, however, mandating its employees wear masks while they are working, and to take “frequent breaks for handwashing.”
Per the memo, Simon is also encouraging retailers and other tenants to use technology, such as Apple Pay, that allows for contactless transactions.
MacDailyNews Take: Several of these properties contain Apple Retail Stores and, in her weekly video update, Apple’s retail chief Deirdre O’Brien told staff that she expects the company to reopen “many more” of its retail stores in May after closing all locations outside of China in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here are the Simon Property Group malls that plan to reopen:
