This weekend, Simon Property Group is planning to open 49 of its malls and outlet centers across the United States. But it won’t be business as usual for the centers, which will only be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in order to give cleaning staff extra time to spend extra time sanitizing food courts, door knobs and electronic directories. The company says it will suggest that if shoppers don’t take their temperature before going shopping that free temperature testing will be provided on-site. It’s also planning to ask shoppers to wear facial coverings while shopping and will provide packets of hand sanitizer. It’s taking a stricter approach with its staff, who are being ordered to wear masks at work and to wash their hands frequently. Other measures are designed to keep people further apart than usual, such as putting tape over ever second sink and urinal and encouraging shoppers to pay with contactless methods. It’s unclear, however, what sort of shape some of the usual anchor tenants in Simon malls will be in. There’s increasing uncertainty over the utlimate fate of traditional department stores such asMacy’s, J.C. Penny and Nordstrom’s.
