Shopping during coronavirus times will go on. Thanks to a new state-of-Texas ruling that allows restaurants and department stores to be open at 25 percent capacity, the Macy's chain is reopening a select number of stores in Houston, with in-store shopping as well as contact-free curbside pickup.

That includes its most high-profile stores: Macy’s Houston Galleria, Macy’s Memorial City, and Macy’s First Colony.

Marc Mastronardi, chief stores officer at Macy's, says that the chain is introducing extra safety precautions, as follows:

• Frequent and enhanced cleaning in heavily trafficked areas and on hard surfaces
• 6 feet between all customers and colleagues
• Sanitation stations in frequently visited locations
• Plexiglass at select registers

Macy's is also asking staffers to wear face masks to help prevent the spread of the virus, and is guiding daily wellness checks for staffers before they report to work.

Curbside pick-up
Items bought for Store Pick-Up on macys.com or the Macy's mobile app will be eligible for free curbside pick-up Monday-Friday 11 am-5 pm.

Most orders placed by noon will be available for same-day pick-up. Orders placed after Noon will be ready the following business day.

Customers will call their local store once they arrive at the curbside pick-up location. A Macy's employee will confirm the order and place the merchandise in the trunk of your car.

At select locations, customers can also pick-up orders from the "At Your Service" desk inside the store, a dedicated location for seamless online pick-ups and returns.

Returns
Macy’s has extended its return policy allowing customers to return merchandise purchased online up to 60 days beyond the original end date noted on the receipt. Items purchased in a store must be returned to a store. If the last day to return merchandise fell within the store closure timeframe, customers will have an extra 30 days to make a return once the stores reopen. Returned merchandise that is in salable condition will be held aside in a separate Return Collection Depot before being returned to the sales floor.

Customers with additional questions about Macy’s response to COVID-19 can visit macys.com/social/COVID-19.

The list

Open Macy’s locations for in-store shopping, curbside delivery, and in-store pick-up include:

• Macy’s San Jacinto 
• Macy’s Post Oak 
• Macy’s Memorial City 
• Macy’s Houston Galleria 
• Macy’s First Colony 
• Macy’s Willowbrook 
• Macy’s Woodlands 
• Macy’s Baybrook 
• Macy’s Deerbrook 
• Macy’s Almeda 
• Macy’s Pearland