- Several fast-food chains and retailers have closed their doors in Wuhan and neighboring Chinese cities due to the deadly coronavirus.
- McDonald’s and Starbucks were among the first companies to announce temporary closures in January, in an attempt to prevent the spread of the virus among employees and customers.
- The virus has killed nearly 500 people and infected more than 24,000 since the outbreak was first discovered in Wuhan, China.
- Here’s a list of brands with confirmed closures in China.
- Visit Business Insider’s home page for more stories.
An increasing number of fast-food chains and major retailers in China are issuing temporary closures as the coronavirus death toll continues to rise.
The outbreak is believed to have originated at a wet market in Wuhan, China, and has since been reported in at least 25 other countries. As of February 5, the virus has killed nearly 500 individuals and infected more than 24,000.
McDonald’s and Starbucks were among the earliest closures, with both fast-food chains announcing in January that they had closed select locations in China to prevent the spread of the virus among employees and customers. The closures came in tandem with mass quarantines in China and orders to halt public transit in Wuhan and neighboring cities.
Several major tourist attractions and hospitality companies including the Shanghai Disney Resort and InterContinental Hotels Group have also temporarily shut down, Bloomberg reported. Meanwhile, retailers like Walmart have announced they will stay open for now. A Walmart spokesperson told Business Insider the company is cooperating with local officials and health experts to “closely follow” and monitor the situation.
"We are actively reinforcing good hygiene practices in all of our Walmart and Sam's Club locations in China and reminding our teams that the health and safety of our associates and customers is our top priority," a Walmart spokesperson told Business Insider.
Below is a list of confirmed closures. We've reached out to several major fast-food chains and retailers with locations in China and will update this list accordingly.
Kate Taylor contributed reporting.
KFC
A spokesperson for Yum China confirmed to Business Insider that select KFC locations in Wuhan have been closed since January 24.
"Yum China is closely monitoring the situation and following guidance from the relevant authorities," the spokesperson said. "We have implemented various preventative measures across our restaurants and workplaces to help protect our employees and customers."
Pizza Hut
The Yum spokesperson also confirmed that Pizza Hut locations in Wuhan have been closed since January 24 and will remain closed "until further notice."
"We will continue to evaluate the need for additional actions and preventive health measures," the spokesperson said.
Starbucks
According to the official Starbucks Weibo account, the company has closed all stores in Wuhan and the Hubei province through February 2, as well as the Starbucks Reserve Roastery Shanghai.
A Starbucks spokesperson told Business Insider the company will "continue monitoring this closely to take further actions as the situation evolves."
"We are working closely with local health authorities, taking actions with the health of partners and customers top of mind, including closing stores in some locations," the spokesperson said.
McDonald's
McDonald's announced on Friday that it has "suspended business" in five cities, as was first reported by Reuters. A spokesperson for McDonald's Asia told Business Insider's Mary Hanbury on Friday that all restaurant operations have been suspended in Wuhan, Ezhou, Huanggang, Qianjiang, and Xiantao until further noticed.
"Masks are urgently being distributed so that very soon all crews across the country will be wearing them," McDonald's said in a statement sent to Business Insider. "Internal communications are enhanced for promoting more frequent hand washing and disinfection, as well as helping employees to have a greater general understanding of epidemic prevention."
Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen locations in Wuhan have been closed since January 22, according to Dairy Queen's official Weibo page. Additionally, the company is offering a promotion for hospital workers treating individuals with the virus, which has received some backlash on the Chinese social media site.
An international Dairy Queen spokesperson told Business Insider that the company is "continuing to monitor the situation and closely following the direction of local authorities."
"The health and well-being of our employees and customers is of the utmost importance to International Dairy Queen and we continue to practice preventative measures to protect them," the spokesperson said.
IKEA
IKEA has temporarily closed all 30 of its stores in mainland China as of January 30. The stores will remain closed "until further notice," an IKEA spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider in an email.
The closure was based on "further communication with local authorities where operating" and "concern for the health and safety of our consumers and co-workers," according to the retailer's statement.
"The health and safety of customers and co-workers are always top priorities for IKEA. The impacted IKEA co-workers are asked to stay at home until further notice with paid leave," the statement reads. "We take preventive measures such as informing our co-workers and customers about preventive hygiene and wearing masks to minimize the potential risk of being infected."
The company had already closed its Wuhan location, adjusted hours at other IKEA stores around the country, and shuttered children's playing areas in those stores starting January 23.
Gap
Gap Inc. has closed five of its namesake store locations in China as a result of the coronavirus, a company spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider on January 28.
"We're monitoring the situation closely and prioritizing the safety of our employees and customers," the spokesperson said.
Old Navy
Gap Inc. has also temporarily closed three of its Old Navy stores in China, according to the company spokesperson.
H&M
H&M has closed 97 of its 520 stores in mainland China, a press officer at H&M Group told Business Insider in an email. The spokesperson also confirmed the closure of all H&M locations in Wuhan.
"We are continuously updating our colleagues about the situation and advising as to which precautionary measures they should take to prevent any further risks. Any staff will be paid in line with their contracts," the press officer said. "In addition, we have until further notice suspended business trips both to and within China."
Apple
Apple announced on February 1 that it will close all stores and corporate offices in mainland China through February 9, as first reported by Reuters.
"Out of an abundance of caution and based on the latest advice from leading health experts, we're closing all our corporate offices, stores, and contact centers in mainland China through February 9," Apple said in a statement.
Adidas
An Adidas spokeswoman told Reuters on February 5 that it will close a "considerable" number of stores in China due to the coronavirus and confirmed that the company was "experiencing a negative impact" on business in the region.
