• Penneys is working to re-open all of our stores in Ireland from 12 June, following the recent announcement by the Irish Government
• Penneys stores with street access will open on 12 June, while Penneys stores located in shopping centres will open on 15 June
• Employee and customer safety is the highest priority in our preparations for re-opening
• To help provide a safe environment in stores for our employees and as we welcome back customers, social distancing protocols, hand sanitiser stations, Perspex screens at tills and additional store cleaning will be among the measures in place

Following the recent announcement by the Irish Government, we are working to re-open all of our Penneys stores in Ireland from 12 June, with extensive measures in place to help safeguard employees and customers.

Penneys can confirm that its stores with street access will open on Friday 12 June, and its remaining stores that are located in shopping centres across Ireland will open on Monday 15 June.

Penneys is closely following all government safety advice and applying experience gained from our store openings across Europe, putting rigorous health and safety measures in place in all stores, which include:

A strict social distancing protocol:

• Limits on the number of customers in store at any one time to allow for the appropriate distance in between customers and employees, following government guidelines.
• Clear signage and floor decals, as well as dedicated employees and additional security staff, to guide customers through the store in a way that limits contact with others.
• Every second till will be closed to allow more space between customers and between employees.
• We have temporarily closed off fitting rooms, customer toilets and our cafe and beauty concessions in stores which have them. We may review this policy as the situation develops and in line with government guidance.

Personal protection for employees and customers:

• Hand sanitiser stations will be made available at the entrance and on the shop floor and back of house for employee and customer use. Face masks and gloves will be made available to all Penneys employees.
• Perspex screens have been installed on tills to protect customers and employees.

Increased in-store cleaning:

• The frequency and rigour of store cleaning will increase, particularly around high frequency touchpoints such as tills, escalators, lifts, and employee areas in back of house.

Full details of the safety measures we will introduce in store can be found below.

Primark CEO, Paul Marchant, said:

“As we re-open our stores in Ireland, nothing matters more than the health and wellbeing of our colleagues and customers.

“We have really missed our customers and we are delighted to be back trading again on our home soil. From 12 June we will be able to provide our customers with the quality, affordable products they love from Penneys.

“We know that life for our customers is going to look different for a while. We want our stores to be safe and reassuring places to shop and work. While it might take a little longer to get into our stores, once inside, customers will find all their favourite Penneys products and we have worked hard to make sure that clear signage and extra help will be there to guide them through the changes we have made to allow for social distancing.

“We will adopt all government safety advice as a minimum in our stores and have benefited from our experience in the other markets in Europe where we have already opened successfully. As we open, we will continue to look at best practice across the retail sector and amend our measures appropriately.

“I would like to thank all of our colleagues and partners for the commitment, strength and resilience they have shown through these challenging times.”

Full list of safety measures across Penneys stores:

SOCIAL DISTANCING: We have implemented a strict social distancing protocol across all our stores:

• We are following government guidelines and limiting the number of customers into store at any one time to allow for the appropriate distance in between customers and employees.
• Clear signage and floor decals, as well as dedicated employees who are responsible for managing queues at tills and entrances to stores
• We have hired additional security staff to help customers follow social distancing measures while queueing to enter our store
• We have redesigned the layout of our stores to allow for more space between people by reconfiguring our queuing system at our till points to allow for social distancing. Dedicated employees are on hand to manage the correct flow of the queue
• We have temporarily closed off fitting rooms, customer toilets and our cafe and beauty concessions in stores which have them. We may review this policy as the situation develops and in line with government guidance
• Entry and exit points are clearly marked
• Frequent tannoy announcements are made in store reminding customers to adhere to social distancing measures

PERSONAL PROTECTION: We have increased personal protection for employees and customers:

• Hand sanitiser stations will be made available at the entrance and on the shop floor and back of house for employee and customer use
• Every second till is closed, in order to leave appropriate space between customers and between employees. Perspex screens have been installed on open tills to protect customers and employees
• Face masks and gloves are available to all employees if they wish to use them
• Customers are asked to sanitise their hands upon entry. Dedicated employees are on hand to assist customers if needed
• All returns will be managed in line with government advice
• We have removed all testers from the health and beauty department
• We are encouraging card payments and contactless when possible to minimise cash interactions. Limits have been increased for contactless payments where this was possible
• We have appointed dedicated employees to manage queues at tills and entrances to stores to ensure social distancing measures are being followed
• Dedicated employees make sure hand hygiene stations are topped up and report any issues or concerns to the store manager

IN-STORE CLEANING: We have increased the frequency and intensity of in-store cleaning:

• We have invested significantly in increasing the frequency and rigour of our store cleaning policy across all our markets: giving particular attention to high frequency touchpoints such as tills, escalators, lifts, and employee areas in back of house
• A deep clean of each store is carried out before re-opening
• We have increased the frequency of cleaning throughout the day
• We have introduced a basket cleaning system, so each basket handle is cleaned before use
• Sanitising wipes are made available for employees to sterilise baskets and cashpoints

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