On Friday March 13, Apple announced it was closing all of its retail stores outside China. It was an early retailer to take action, but most countries and states soon forced the closure of similar stores anyway.
While the company has since reopened many stores with specific restrictions and protections in place, it always left the door open to re-closing stores should the situation merit. Apparently, the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in some states has crossed the threshold, causing Apple to close stores.
When contacted for comment, Apple told Bloomberg News, “Due to current COVID-19 conditions in some of the communities we serve, we are temporarily closing stores in these areas. We take this step with an abundance of caution as we closely monitor the situation and we look forward to having our teams and customers back as soon as possible.”
The stores closing on June 20 are as follows:
Arizona
- Apple Chandler Fashion Center
- Apple Scottsdale Fashion Square (already closed due to looting damage)
- Apple Arrowhead
- Apple SanTan Village
- Apple Scottsdale Quarter
- Apple La Encantada
Florida
- Apple Waterside Shops
- Apple Coconut Point
North Carolina
- Apple SouthPark
- Apple Northlake Mall
South Carolina
- Apple Haywood Mall
Customers will be able to pick up device repairs at the stores over the weekend. Employees of the closed stores will continue be paid, but Apple has provided no timeline for the stores’ reopening.
Author: Jason Cross, Senior Editor
I have written about technology for my entire professional life - over 25 years. I enjoy learning about how complicated technology works and explaining it in a way anyone can understand.