SARS gnaws away sales of department stores in Taiwan

Taipei, May 6, 2003 (CENS)--Sales of Pacific Sogo Department Store in Taipei suffered a slide of over 60% yesterday as more than 170 people in store were ordered to undergo quarantine at home after a cashier shows initial symptoms of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

Revenues of other large shopping centers also dropped by at least 30% because of the reduced number of customers, who shun public places for fearing of catching SARS virus.

The Taipei City's Department of Health issued notices of home quarantine to 175 Sogo employees and customers, who might have had contact with the cashier who manned a check-out counter April 27 and 28.

Health officials have ordered the department store to step up SARS prevention measures, including launching temperature checks on all staff members and customers upon entry, disinfecting all escalator rails and doorknobs, and requiring supermarket and basement food court workers to wear surgical masks.

Staff members of the store now have to take their own temperatures before opening the doors to customers in the morning everyday. The staff, in turn, also take the temperature of all customers before they enter the shopping as part of the precaution measures to ward off SARS virus.

All other leading department store chains on the island have adopted same steps to safeguard the health of both staff and customers.

Executives are most concerned about the steep fall in sales in spite of their promotion campaigns for the traditional shopping craze for Mother's Day on May 11.

Many stores has also stepped up home delivery service by taking orders from customers who are reluctant to take shopping trips for now.