Business
Loblaw Companies Limited is Investing to Assist Customers and Colleagues in Confronting COVID-19
Loblaw Companies Limited is Investing to Assist Customers and Colleagues in Confronting CO...
About this update from Loblaw Companies Limited
[{"type":"text","content":"\n\n\n\nLoblaw Companies Limited is Investing to Assist Customers and Colleagues in Confronting COVID-19\n\n/* Style Definitions */\nspan.prnews_span\n{\nfont-size:8pt;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\n}\na.prnews_a\n{\ncolor:blue;\n}\nli.prnews_li\n{\nfont-size:8pt;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\n}\np.prnews_p\n{\nfont-size:0.62em;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\nmargin:0in;\n}\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCanada NewsWire\nBRAMPTON, ON, April 9, 2020\n\n\n\nBRAMPTON, ON, April 9, 2020 /CNW/ - Loblaw Companies Limited (\"Loblaw\") (TSX: L) today provided an update on its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. \nAs Canada's largest retailer, Loblaw has a vital role to play in helping Canadians by providing continued access to food and pharmacy products and services in almost every community nationwide. As an employer of more than 190,000 colleagues, Loblaw takes very seriously its role in providing a safe and secure work and shopping environment for its colleagues and the thousands of customers who visit its food stores and pharmacies every week.\n\"We are acutely aware of the important role that we can play in assisting Canadians through these difficult times,\" said Galen Weston, Executive Chairman of Loblaw Companies Limited. \"We are continuously making changes to our operations to meet these needs and doing our best to operate our businesses in a way that protects the safety of our colleagues and customers\".\nBeginning in March, Canadians turned to grocery stores and pharmacies in record numbers. The result was a significant increase in sales, with demand for essential items up strongly while customers started to shift away from discretionary categories. As the severity of COVID-19 increased during the month, the Company ramped up its investments in four areas: enhancing customer convenience by expanding on-line capabilities and increasing staffing in our stores; supporting our colleagues in our stores and distribution centres with temporary pay premiums and pay protection safeguards; securing operations, with more in-store cleaning and in-store security, introducing new ways to shop stores to promote social distancing, and installing plexiglass barriers at check outs; and providing financial support to our communities and customers by pledging financial support to food banks and community charities and offerin...