Ever the industry contrarian, Patagonia is planning to close up shop temporarily for a quick break after the holidays.
Originally announced late last month, the outdoor brand said that its stores and offices in the United States and Canada will be closed starting Dec. 25. The brand also said it will close its customer service and distribution center one day earlier on Dec. 24. The company plans to reopen its stores and facilities on Jan. 2, 2022.
Patagonia also noted that while its e-commerce site will remain open for business, expect delivery delays as no orders will be shipped during the closure time period.
In a brief statement about this move, Patagonia said that it wants to “do its best to not be bound by convention and to look out for people and the planet. We’re giving employees a break this holiday season with some paid time off.”
This move ups the ante on employee time off. Many larger retailers opted to shut their doors for Thanksgiving – which bucked the pre-pandemic trend of Turkey Day holiday shopping hours. Walmart, Kohl’s, Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Foot Locker, Macy’s, Costco, Bed Bath & Beyond and REI all shut down on Thanksgiving this year. Target said that its decision to remain closed on Thanksgiving became permanent as of this year.
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Patagonia was also one of the first major U.S. retailers to close during the onset of COVID-19. By Friday, March 13, 2020, Patagonia’s stores, offices and other operations were closed in an effort to protect its workers. While many companies by this time had implemented work-from-home policies, most retailers were keeping their stores open.
