07.15.2020

HOW UNDER ARMOUR IS WORKING THROUGH COVID-19

Updated January 5 at 10:00 a.m.

 

UNDER ARMOUR'S PORT COVINGTON CAMPUS OPENS TO SUPPORT COVID-19 VACCINE ADMINISTRATION FOR THE CITY'S HEALTH AND EMERGENCY CARE WORKERS

Beginning today until further notice, Under Armour will open its facility at the Baltimore Port Covington Campus to the Baltimore City Health Department to administer COVID-19 vaccines. Baltimore City will only be administering vaccinations for the city’s essential health and emergency care workers—consistent with national protocol for distribution—at this location.

 

Media will not be permitted to enter the facility for the duration of vaccine distribution, however, questions may be sent to mediarelations@underarmour.com.

 

Updated June 15 at 12:25 p.m.

 

Under Armour joins a coalition of 10 private-sector partners to spotlight resources available to educate the public about fraudulent medical supplies. The new initiative aims to help combat the trade in fraudulent personal protective equipment.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a flood of fraudulent medical supplies and equipment such as masks, gloves, and testing kits that are inferior and do not offer the same level of efficacy as properly produced products. To date, there have been nearly 1,000 COVID-19 related seizures of prohibited test kits and medicine, counterfeit masks and other equipment in the United States, which has accounted for $17.9 million in disrupted transactions and recovered funds.  

 

Learn more about these resources or report fraud here.

 

Updated June 1 at 9:00 a.m.

 

Due to the ongoing and continued developments surrounding the coronavirus COVID-19, Under Armour has made the decision to cancel the following UA events:

 

  • 2020 UA All-America Football Camp Series
  • UAA Workout in Bradenton, Fla. (IMG Academy)
  • UA Bigs Camp in Bradenton, Fla. (IMG Academy)
  • Ray Lewis 52 Camp in Bradenton, Fla. (IMG Academy)
  • Prime 21 Camp in Dallas, Texas
  • 2020 UA All-American Lacrosse Game in Baltimore, Md.
  • 2020 UA All-American Baseball Game in Baltimore, Md.
  • 2020 UA Association Girls and Boys circuit

Given the various ongoing and changing stay-at-home orders throughout the country combined with office closures, travel restrictions and additional operational challenges, Under Armour came to this decision after carefully considering alternatives and the current recommendations of local organizations and authorities.

 

The health and safety of our participants, spectators and staff remains our top priority.

 

Updated May 28 at 4:30 p.m.

 

This April, Under Armour announced the launch of the #ThroughThisTogether shirt, followed by a sports bra, with 100% of the net proceeds going to the DonorsChoose “Keep Kids Learning” initiative. Now, one month later, Under Armour has funded $55,000 worth of projects supporting over 50 teachers and impacting approximately 4,000 students in six cities across America.

 

Upon being notified of their fully funded project, a teacher in Chicago wrote, “Under Armour, I am forever grateful for your gracious contribution! During times like this, you have truly helped shine light on dark times! We are in this together!”

 

In addition to continuing to support teachers and students through sales of the #ThroughThisTogether product, Under Armour remains committed to supporting healthcare workers on the front lines through innovative protective gear, and our consumers through content to help ensure they continue to reach peak performance.

 

Updated May 28 at 8:00 a.m.

 

Today, Under Armour announced details for the phased reopening of its owned stores in North America. The company reopened its first U.S. stores to customers on May 15, and opened additional stores last week. By this Friday, Under Armour will have welcomed customers back to nearly 50% of its North America stores. In regular consultation with government and public health officials, the company will continue to reopen additional stores on a case-by-case basis.

 

To prepare for and facilitate this process, Under Armour has developed strict health and safety protocols for its teammates and customers.

 

“We are excited to begin reopening our doors in North America. Fitness and staying healthy are top of mind for our customers and we are committed to serving them safely, while ensuring our teammates’ wellbeing remains our top priority,” said Under Armour President and Chief Executive Officer Patrik Frisk.

 

Steps Under Armour is taking to protect its teammates and customers in reopened stores during the initial phases of the reopening include:

 

  • Training all teammates on health and safety procedures prior to reopening
  • Reducing store hours to allow time for new cleaning protocol
  • Limiting store occupancy
  • Requiring teammates and customers to wear masks in the store
  • Adding hand sanitizing stations throughout the store
  • Holding back returned products for 72 hours before returning to the floor
  • Temporarily closing all fitting rooms
  • Sanitizing payment point of contact in between each use
  • Labeling spaces to ensure adherence with social distancing guidelines at checkout and other high traffic areas
  • Communicating “House Rules” via posters throughout the store and announcements over the sound system

Reopening decisions and protocols in countries outside of North America are being made based on local guidance and in consultation with government and public health officials in those markets. 

 

Read the full announcement here.

 

Updated May 19 at 10:15 a.m.

 

To address the impacts of COVID-19 on factory partners and workers and sustainably advance efforts to create a more just and resilient garment industry, Under Armour has endorsed the COVID-19: Action in the Global Garment Industry (Call to Action).  This international Call to Action brings together the ILO, IOE, ITUC, IndustriALL Global Union, UNI Global Union, brands, manufacturers and workers’ rights organizations to mobilize action for the protection of workers’ health, safety and livelihoods.

 

At Under Armour, we strive to Protect Our House, and that includes those who manufacture our products. Mitigating the effects of COVID-19 requires a broad spectrum of actors to unite and create lasting solutions that protect workers susceptible to employment loss and health risks. Through the international Call to Action, we will work with like-minded parties to mobilize funds to support business continuity for manufacturers in the Apparel and Footwear sectors, and focus on protection for workers and employers in countries with the weakest health and social protection systems.

 

Under Armour’s endorsement of the Call to Action follows steps taken to ensure that our manufacturers continue to protect their employee’s health and safety. Additionally, Under Armour continues to pay to its manufacturers the full negotiated price for all goods, both completed and in process (in process is defined as post-cutting). As COVID-19 related pressures evolve, Under Armour will continue to assess how best we can support workers and manufacturers in our global supply chains.

 

Updated April 23 at 9:05 a.m.

 

With school closures across the country due to coronavirus, teachers need to get supplies in the hands of students at home to keep them learning, especially in our country’s highest-need communities. DonorsChoose has surveyed nearly 4,000 teachers, and 97% are worried that school closings are going to hurt their students’ learning. 

 

DonorsChoose has launched the Keep Kids Learning initiative to help get books, basic supplies, and arts and crafts materials to teachers for their students during this time of distance learning. This platform provides teachers the ability to curate these educational care packages specifically steered to the children's needs and have them sent directly to the students' home.  

 

Under Armour’s new #ThroughThisTogether t-shirt is available now, with 100% of the net proceeds going to DonorsChoose “Keep Kids Learning” initiative. The t-shirt can be purchased for $25 for adult size and $20 for youth sizes on UA.com and the UA app.

 

Updated April 14 at 9:05 a.m.

 

Under Armour has  communicated to its manufacturers that in light of COVID-19, they must take all required and advisable steps to protect their employees’ health and safety. Additionally,  manufacturers must meet their legal obligations as employers to their employees including those related to COVID-19 arising under local governmental directives and recommendations during times when their facilities are closed as well as when they are legally permitted to resume operations.

 

 Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Under Armour continues to pay to its manufacturers the full negotiated price for all goods, both completed and in process (in process is defined as post-cutting).  There are ongoing disruptions to both accounts receivable and accounts payable across the industry. Accordingly, we are working with our customers and vendors to manage through this appropriately including engaging in a constant dialogue with our supply chain manufacturers regarding the timing of payments owed to these vendors. This is a new and unfolding reality: a global health emergency that has caused a global economic crisis. These are exceptional circumstances where we believe that acting responsibly includes taking prudent financial measures and responsible fiduciary actions to protect the health of our business and through such actions, the array of stakeholders, including workers, communities and businesses in the global value chain of which we are a part. 

 

Over the next few months, we will continue to work with our manufacturers in an effort to mitigate COVID-19’s impact on all parties including the manufacturers and their employees and on Under Armour, its employees and customers. Given the complexity and global nature of our industry’s supply chains, we also remain committed to ongoing dialogue with other stakeholders including brands, multi-stakeholder and industry organizations on these issues and on exploring additional means to support workers in, and the resiliency of, the apparel and footwear sectors and their supply chains in these unprecedented and uncertain times and in the future.

 

Updated April 13 at 3:26 p.m.

 

Under Armour delivered 20,000 face masks to Johns Hopkins Health System last week to deploy to its non-clinical staff and asymptomatic patients in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. The fabric masks—a form of personal protective equipment, or PPE—will help prevent the spread of the coronavirus in compliance with the health system's universal masking policy, according to Michelle Azotea, director of project management and implementation for the Johns Hopkins Health System Supply Chain.

 

The face masks were manufactured at Under Armour's Lighthouse innovation facility and taken to the Johns Hopkins Health System Consolidated Service Center, where 50 employee volunteers were standing by to transform the flat-packed masks, with a few origami-style folds and tucks, into wearable protective gear.

 

To learn more about this PPE delivery, visit Johns Hopkins University’s HUB site here. To learn more about how Under Armour is leaning in to assist relief efforts please visit the original story from March 31 via the UA Newsroom here.

 

View UA teammates volunteering and see the latest list of who we are servicing here.

 

Updated April 3 at 9:10 a.m.

 

Today, Under Armour announced actions being taken to address the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, our Board of Directors has approved a previously planned restructuring initiative. 

 

“In these unprecedented and challenging times, the majority of stores where Under Armour is available remain closed, contributing to a significant decline in revenue,” said Under Armour President and Chief Executive Officer Patrik Frisk. “While we’re thankful for the meaningful balance sheet improvements we’ve driven over the past two years and we are seeing some early signs of recovery in our APAC region, this unanticipated shock to our business has been acute, forcing us to make difficult decisions to ensure that Under Armour is positioned to participate in the eventual recovery of demand. We do not take these decisions lightly and are doing all we can to minimize the impact on our teammates during this time. Because of the strength of our brand and the steps we have taken, we will weather this storm.” 

 

Read the full announcement here.

 

Updated March 31 at 10:10 a.m.

 

To support the University of Maryland Medical System’s (UMMS) 28,000 health care providers and staff, Under Armour has begun to manufacture and assemble face masks, face shields and specially equipped fanny packs, and is also exploring fabricating hospital gowns for the statewide medical system. The brand will also begin providing face masks to LifeBridge, a regional health care organization based in Baltimore. Additionally, Under Armour is currently discussing the needs for supplies with Johns Hopkins Medicine, MedStar and other local medical institutions.

 

"When the call came in from our local medical providers for more masks, gowns and supply kits, we just went straight to work," said Randy Harward, SVP of Advanced Material and Manufacturing Innovation at Under Armour. “More than 50 Under Armour teammates from materials scientists to footwear and apparel designers from laboratories in Baltimore and Portland quickly came together in search of solutions.”

 

Read the full story here.

 

 Updated March 27 at 5:32 p.m.

 

On Wednesday, our North America teammates were notified that they should plan to continue their current work-from-home status at least through next week, and that they will be notified when the situation allows for them to return to their corporate offices. 

 

This week, we are also extending the closure of all stores in North America through April 4, 2020. All of our teammates will continue to receive pay during this time. We had previously announced closures of North America stores from March 16 through March 28, 2020. 

 

The health and safety of our teammates, athletes and customers is our top priority. We continue to monitor the situation globally, and closure decisions are being made on a country-by-country basis as necessary to protect our teammates and customers, in accordance with local authority guidelines.  

 

 Updated March 23 at 4:05 p.m.

 

Today, we are launching a 30-day “Healthy at Home fitness” challenge on Under Armour's MyFitnessPal and MapMyRun platforms, to help individuals and families at home stay healthy and physically active. When users join the challenge, we will donate up to $1 million in combination of monetary donation and product to support Good Sports’ efforts to ensure youth sport leagues have necessary equipment, footwear and apparel. To join the challenge on MyFitnessPal, users must access through the MFP app on their smartphones. For more, visit the sign up pages here and here.

 

 Updated March 19 at 8:00 a.m.

 

During challenging times, the only way through is for communities to team up and fight on together. Today, we pledge our support to help people affected by the novel coronavirus pandemic. 

 

Under Armour is donating $1 million to Feeding America to support hunger relief efforts as a result of current school closures and quarantines. By partnering with Feeding America and local food banks, we are lending support to ensure students and their families who are impacted by current, and potentially extended, disruptions have the meals they need. The donation efforts will be focused on reaching the cities where our teammates live and work, including Baltimore, Maryland; San Francisco and Rialto, California; Nashville, Tennessee; Austin, Texas; and Portland, Oregon.

 

Read the full announcement here

 

“It’s our mission at Under Armour to make athletes better, and in these unprecedented times we are even more committed to providing our communities with essential resources," said our CEO, Patrik Frisk. "Through access to nutrition and fitness, we want to support the health and wellness goals that are being challenged at this time.”

 

 Updated March 17 at 10:38 a.m.

 

This morning, our San Francisco teammates received notification that they should continue the work from home plans we enacted last week as the office will officially be closed, in compliance with the city’s mandate as a result of the spread of COVID-19. Only critical personnel will be allowed to enter the office space until this mandate is lifted. 

 

As we have now implemented Work from Home policies for many of our North America teammates, San Francisco teammates will still be reachable by phone, email and other digital means.

 

Updated March 16 at 6:25 p.m.

 

The following message was sent by Patrik Frisk to all of our customers on Monday, March 16:

 

To our Under Armour Family, 

Two of our core values are Love Athletes and Fight on Together. Taking care of our athletic community is at the center of everything we do, and as the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to impact our communities, I want to share the steps we are taking as a business to help keep our customers, our teammates, and our communities safe.

As part of the effort to protect against the spread of COVID-19, Under Armour will close all stores in North America from March 16 through March 28, 2020. We are taking this step because it is the right thing to do and is in the best interest of our teammates and customers. We are monitoring the situation globally, and closure decisions are being made on a country-by-country basis as necessary to protect our teammates and customers. 

We will continue to make your purchasing options as convenient as possible through underarmour.com as well as our mobile app. 

Rest assured, we are vigilant in monitoring this evolving situation, adopting the recommendations of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as local health authorities and have a dedicated global team and plans in place to quickly respond based on their guidance. 

Under Armour was founded on a passion for sport and people and that has never been more important than now. I know as a community we will overcome this challenge. 

Stay safe and thank you for being part of our UA family, 

Patrik Frisk 
Chief Executive Officer

 

Updated March 16 at 12:25 p.m.

 

In a message to North America teammates on Sunday, our CEO Patrik Frisk said, "In order to provide maximum flexibility to teammates in our corporate facilities, we are beginning a voluntary work-from-home program on March 16 for as much of our North America workforce as possible. Our Baltimore headquarters will remain open and we will continue to monitor the situation closely. The health and safety of our teammates is our top consideration.

 

All our teammates will receive pay during this time. We continue to offer work from home and flexible attendance options and have implemented enhanced cleanliness and sanitation steps in both our corporate offices and distribution centers to further protect our teammates. This is a fast-moving situation and we will continue to monitor and update you. "

 

While our physical doors are closed, our virtual doors are still open and customers are always welcome to visit us at UA.com.