Fifth Avenue's Luxury Stores Reopen From Coronavirus Closures

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Several Fifth Avenue retail stores launched a coordinated reopening Thursday as the world-famous shopping stretch hopes to rebound from months of lost business due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Luxury retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Cartier, Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co. opened for curbside pickup Thursday, a few days after New York City entered "Phase One" of its coronavirus recovery, the Fifth Avenue Association announced. The association represents stores, restaurants and other businesses along Fifth Avenue from 46th to 61st streets and businesses on 57th Street between Madison and Sixth avenues.

"Today we celebrate being able to bring back part of the Fifth Avenue experience to consumers," Jerome Barth, president of the Fifth Avenue Association, said in a statement. "We are excited about re-opening and for Fifth Avenue’s future. One thing that has been abundantly clear to us through the last few months is just how much people miss the Fifth Avenue experience and we look forward to providing it once again."

Customers and employees will be required to wear a mask or some other type of face covering at the Fifth Avenue businesses. Stores will be limited to 50 percent capacity and must install social distancing reminders. In-store retail will not be offered until New York City enters "Phase Two," of the state's reopening guidelines. Regions must stay under state benchmarks for infection rate, hospital capacity and testing for two weeks to move to the next phase.

In addition to dealing with the coronavirus, many businesses in Midtown Manhattan were threatened by looting amid the citywide protests that broke out following the death of Minneapolis man George Floyd. Groups of organized burglars used protests as cover to ransack luxury businesses and department stores in SoHo and Herald Square. Saks Fifth Avenue went as far as hiring private security guards and dog handlers to protect its flagship from theft.

The Fifth Avenue Association is maintaining a running list of the Fifth Avenue stores that have reopened.