Winners, Marshalls, HomeSense stores reopening Wednesday in Ontario, Quebec, N.S.

Stores face reopening obstacles Retailers struggle to adhere to safety guidelines even though they are permitted to reopen. CTV's Leah Larocque reports.

OTTAWA — Winners, Marshalls, and HomeSense stores in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia will be reopening this week, according to the company's website.

Stores were closed across Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic, but many have since reopened in western provinces and in New Brunswick and PEI.

According to the store locator on its website, Winners stores in eastern Canada that haven't yet reopened are set to reopen May 27. The same holds true for other stores under the TJX Companies umbrella, including Marshalls and HomeSense.

According to a statement from a spokesperson for parent company TJX Companies, the new in-store experience will include protective shields at cash registers, occupancy limits, physical distancing markers on the floor, and a revised returns policy.

"In the interest of health and safety, unless otherwise specified by local regulations, we encourage all customers to wear a face covering while in our Canadian stores," the spokesperson told CTV News in an email. "Our store locators on each of our brand websites will have the most up-to-date information on when a particular store is reopening and its hours of operation. We expect our store locators to be updated daily."

Employees will be following new physical distancing practices and will be given personal protective equipment and regular temperature checks.

There will also be enhanced cleaning for high-touch surfaces throughout the day and new protocols for handling merchandise.

Ontario began its first stage of reopening amid the COVID-19 pandemic May 19. Quebec began its reopening May 4.