April 26, 2020 3:12PM ET

Rough Reality for Malls and Department Stores: Shoppers Still Feel Unsafe to Return

Just 35 percent of shoppers feel comfortable going to a mall or department store after coronavirus lockdowns loosen, First Insight found. — A general view of a near-empty shopping mall in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China, on April 16, 2020. China is re-emerging from the coronavirus outbreak but shopping is still appears to be far from normal, which indicate what U.S. retailers can expect to confront in the months ahead.

CREDIT: ALEX PLAVEVSKI/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Department stores and apparel retailers unfortunately may have more bad news coming their way even if physical stores start opening again. As states across the U.S. consider the alternatives on how to best reopen stores, shoppers are least confident about reentering malls, with only 33 percent of respondents saying they would feel safe shopping in…

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