Apple closed all of its retail stores and offices in China on February 1 due to the coronavirus outbreak. The closures were scheduled to last for just one week, but now Apple says that all of its retail stores in China will have reopened as of Friday, March 12.
Apple announced its closures in China on February 1 and said it planned to reopen stores on February 9, but that date ended up being extended. Stores gradually started reopening in China throughout the month, with CNBC reporting earlier this week that 38 of Apple’s 42 stores in China had reopened.
As reported today by setteBIT on Twitter, however, Apple now says that all 42 of its stores in the country will have reopened as of Friday, March 12 local time. The four unopened stores this week included three stores in Tianjin and one in Suzhou.
The closure of Apple’s retail stores in China, combined with supply constraints and restrictions on public gatherings, caused iPhone sales to plummet in the country. According to data released earlier this week, Apple sold fewer than 500,000 iPhones in China throughout all of February — down 60% compared to February of 2019.
In the United States, where the coronavirus pandemic is worsening, Apple’s retail stores continue to be affected. The company has implemented new measures to help control crowd sizes as well as deep cleaning protocols and hand sanitizing stations. In Italy, Apple has closed all of its retail stores until further notice.
Read more:
- Apple giving retail and hourly workers unlimited sick leave for coronavirus-like symptoms
- Apple tells employees to ‘work remotely if your job allows’ this week, announces other anti-coronavirus measures
- Opinion: Apple could set an example in encouraging working from home
- Apple iPhone sales down 60% in China in February as coronavirus hit
- Report: Apple rejecting coronavirus iOS apps that aren’t from ‘recognized institutions’
