Sa Sa and Tse Sui Luen Jewellery react to coronavirus by temporarily closing stores across Hong Kong and Macau

Cosmetics retailer Sa Sa and jeweller Tse Sui Luen Jewellery have temporarily closed a number of their stores across Hong Kong and Macau in reaction to the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak.

Sa Sa's closures will be in effect at 20 of its regular stores across Hong Kong and Macau and a La Colline speciality store in Hong Kong's Central district. Many of these stores are located in traditional tourist areas. This includes pairs of stores in Central, Causeway Bay, and Tsim Sha Tsui, as well as three Mong Kok branches.

No Sa Sa staff are reported to have contracted the coronavirus, but the company said it was striving to keep its branches clean and safe for customers and employees alike. Sa Sa said that employees affected by the closures would be sent to work at other branches and that the company would reduce the number of staff working in its stores to control costs.

Chairperson and CEO Simon Kwok said that following this new round of cost reduction initiatives, Sa Sa planned to downsize its retail store network in Hong Kong, lower staff costs, and reduce its inventory level to help mitigate losses.

Meanwhile, jeweller Tse Sui Luen Jewellery has also said that some of its branches would be closed to minimise the chance of spreading the coronoavirus and to protect employees and customers. The chain is listed as operating 30 stores across Hong Kong but under the new measures, only 14 stores will remain open at this time. Two out of its three Macau stores will be closed as well.

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