The latest retailer to shut its online operations in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic is The Perfume Shop.
The fragrance retailer’s parent company AS Watson had already closed its 231 shops on 22 March, ahead of the government’s order to temporarily close all non-essential services.
As many as 1875 staff will be affected by the move, but they will be supported by AS Watson’s workforce financial package during the emergency period.
“For 25 years our talented and passionate colleagues have been at our heart and have always come first and that is why we have taken the decision to temporarily suspend fulfilment of website orders so our warehouse team can follow government advice to stay at home,” The Perfume Shop said.
The government had encouraged shoppers to shop online after announcing that non-essential stores would shut.
However, available online delivery slots became a growing issue due to high demand, but there were also concerns over workers’ safety in distribution hubs.
The Perfume Shop Managing Director Gill Smith said: “Like everyone we are following government guidelines closely and feel we need to put our colleagues, and their families, first and this means pausing delivery of online orders for the moment.”
