Costco and Home Depot limiting shoppers inside stores under new coronavirus policies

Two of the nation’s largest warehouse retail companies are taking steps to promote social distancing in their stores to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

A new policy at Costco limits the number of people per membership allowed in a store, according to Costco’s website. The change allows only two people per membership to be inside the store at a time and is scheduled to take effect Friday, Costco said.

This change follows several other temporary modifications to the company’s policies. Costco has also cut its hours of operation, offered special shopping hours for members age 60 or older, limited the number of some items members can buy at one time, restricted returns on some products and reduced services in some departments, according to the company’s website.

Home Depot is also putting new policies in effect to promote social distancing, according to the company’s website. The company cut store hours so that warehouse will close at 6 p.m., and it is also limiting the number of customers allowed in stores at a time, although they did not specify the number of people.

Home Depot’s website also mentions they will be “eliminating major spring promotions to avoid high levels of traffic to stores.” The company also is giving out thermometers to all associates in stores, asking them to take their temperatures before beginning work, Home Depot’s website says.

This story was originally published April 1, 2020 at 1:08 PM.