Apple plans to reopen more than 25 of its branded stores in the United States and about 100 worldwide. This step is intended to spur the company’s sagging sales of devices. In March, Apple closed all of its stores outside of China in response to the spread of coronavirus.
Apple to reopen 25 stores this week in the United States
“We are committed to reopening our stores when we are confident that their visitors are safe,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s retail director, on the company’s website. Apple recently resumed operations in its first five stores in the United States, requiring customers and employees to take body temperature measurements and use face masks.
Gizchina News of the week
In total, Apple owns 510 stores worldwide, 271 of which are located in the United States. The company does not disclose the revenues of its retail network. Direct sales, including retail stores, online sales, and corporate deliveries, are known to account for 31% of $260 billion in revenue in 2019.
Apparently, Apple is on the decline. So, Tim Cook refused to provide a forecast for the next quarter last month, citing market uncertainty caused by the coronavirus. In addition, sales in China in the first quarter of 2020 amounted to $9.46 billion, which is approximately $1 billion less than the same period last year.
O’Brien also indicates that in some stores, the deposit or recovery of an item will be done outside. He also encouraged to shop online as much as possible or to contact AppleCare through this.
Finally, there is no general reopening date for the next installment of the Apple Store. They take decisions on a case-by-case basis. “We are examining all the available data. This includes local situations, short and long term trends and advice from national and local health authorities”. Adding that a decision to close is still possible. However, he added that in Canada, 12 out of 29 stores will reopen this week.
