Simon Property Group (SPG -0.77%) plans to open 49 shopping malls the first week of May, according to an internal email obtained by CNBC.
To ease shopper concerns about the coronavirus, the mall operator intends to offer free masks and hand sanitizer packets to any customer who asks for them. It will offer free temperature checks for customers via infrared thermometers, though it won't require customers to submit to a temperature reading before entry.
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Ready to start shopping again
With states like Colorado, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee beginning to reopen for business, Simon Property Group intends to open its malls beginning May first and continuing through May 4 depending upon state and local stay-at-home orders.
The email obtained by CNBC identified 36 malls in eight states that would open on the first of the month, followed by 10 more in Indiana on May 2, and three additional locations in Missouri on May 4. Simon operates over 230 malls in the North America, Asia, and Europe.
The malls will operate between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Although customers won't be required to wear masks while in the malls, employees will be. Simon will also limit occupancy in the malls to one person per 50 square feet of space by using technology that measures traffic.
