Home Depot (HD -1.44%) is taking new steps to reduce customer traffic at its stores during what is normally its peak selling season. The home improvement retailer said on Wednesday that it has eliminated its spring selling promotions in an effort to reduce social interactions as COVID-19 spreads across the country.
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The retailer is aiming to balance its desire to satisfy consumer demand, which has spiked for a wide range of essential products, against the priority of protecting the health of its shoppers and employees. Those goals are sometimes in tension, so the chain has made additional changes to its business, including closing stores earlier for sanitization, limiting the number of shoppers inside at any given time, and adjusting the store layout to maximize social distancing. Those efforts now include the elimination of spring sales promotions, which tend to drive extra customer traffic in a normal economic environment.
"Home Depot is committed to providing the essential needs required to maintain homes and businesses while doing our best to protect our valued customers and associates," CEO Craig Menear said in a press release. "This has resulted in several temporary changes to our business as we look out for your safety and the safety of our associates."
