How Your Favorite Brands are Responding to COVID-19
During this unprecedented time, many brands have had to close their doors and shut down their operations in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Brands like Doordash, Sephora, CVS, Starbucks, Target, Walmart and more have all been adjusting and releasing statements on how they plan to move forward. Let’s take a look at how some brands are responding to this worldwide pandemic.
Doordash:
Doordash has changed their delivery method to a no-contact option in order to decrease the amount of contact between the customers and workers. They are shipping more than 1 million sets of free hand sanitizers and gloves to Dashers. Doordash is additionally offering financial assistance to eligible couriers that are diagnosed with or quarantined because of COVID-19. Doordash is also partnering with community organizations to deliver about 1 million pounds of groceries and prepared food to vulnerable communities that need it most.
Sephora:
Sephora has closed their stores in response to the virus. The company has announced that corporate employees will be working from home while retail employees will be compensated for their time off. Don’t worry beauty gurus, items are still available for online purchase. In March, Sephora even waived all standard shipping fees.
Starbucks:
Starbucks has closed all their in-store cafes, however select grocery and drive through locations are still open. The Starbucks Foundation has announced that they will be donating $500,000 to support the COVID-19 responders and has also offered free coffee to these responders. Starbucks has taken it a step further to even offer employees and their family members up to 20 free therapy sessions per year in response to this pandemic. Your generosity is definitely not going unnoticed Starbucks!
Target:
Target has adjusted their hours and is closing at 9 p.m. in order to allow more time for teams to clean and restock items. They have also started reserving the first hour of shopping each Wednesday for more vulnerable guests. In partnership with Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, Google, and others, they are working with the federal government to provide public access to additional coronavirus testing.
Walmart:
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have committed to donating $25 million to support organizations responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. They are donating $5 million to assist countries prevent, detect and manage the coronavirus; $10 million to support food banks, school meal programs, and additional organizations that provide food for disadvantaged communities; and $10 million to back efforts in communities in the U.S. and international markets. The company has also pledged to hire 150,000 new employees by May. Walmart is also planning on paying a cash bonus ranging from $150-300 to hourly workers who worked for the company by March 1st.
It is important to pay attention to which companies are not only giving back to the community and those most vulnerable but those that are also supporting their employees during this time. Some companies are compensating their workers even though they cannot work, however other companies are not being as generous. It is also necessary to pay attention to how these companies are supporting their employees as students near graduation and start to apply for jobs.
About Anne:
Anne Stodulski is a recent graduate from Grand Valley State University with a degree in Advertising and Public Relations and a minor in Hospitality Tourism Management. She was the previous Social Media Director for PRSSA and was an Account Associate for GrandPR. Anne is interning this summer for All Buttoned Up Events and assisting with the planning and execution of weddings. As having just graduated, she is excited for what the future holds and where her career will go!
