Companies around America are closing due to the Coronavirus outbreak. But big box retailers, grocery stores, and pharmacies are remaining open, some even amping up business and hiring efforts.
Target ($TGT) has long been a go-to for those looking to stock up on food and supplies. And in the midst of a global pandemic, its role in American life is even more crucial.
The retailer’s ‘Talking About’ count on Facebook ($FB) was at the highest it’s been in a year at 222,000 earlier this month. Now that people have made most of their panic purchases and toilet paper runs, that number is at 127,000.
Target introduced “senior hours” yesterday, allotted weekly time blocks for older customers. The company has also announced that stores will be cutting hours, now closing at 9 PM.
Still, employees are reporting toxic work conditions. Target has yet to provide paid sick leave as job listings continue to grow.
In a statement, Target said it was "conducting even more rigorous cleaning procedures," waiving the absenteeism policy for some employees, and paying for employees who are confirmed to have Coronavirus to stay home for up to 14 days. Whether this will affect business will become clear in the coming weeks.
About the Data:
Thinknum tracks companies using the information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales.
Further Reading:
- Have people stopped going to McDonald's and Starbucks?
- Wall Street loves Blue Apron - but the data contradicts the recent stock surge
- McDonald's Japan is now the third-most tagged place on Facebook
