Apple today announced its fifth wave of US store reclosures in less than two weeks as states struggle to keep COVID-19 under control. The latest closures affect stores in Alabama, California, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, and Oklahoma.
As of July 1, 50 previously reopened US Apple Stores have already reclosed, some due to public health concerns and others due to residual damage from racial equality protests. 16 US reclosures were announced yesterday in Florida, Mississippi, Texas, and Utah. One store in the UK and one in Australia are also temporarily closed again.
For the latest wave of stores reclosing this week, Apple is allowing customers with existing online orders and previously scheduled in-store Genius Support appointments to visit through July 3.
Apple’s early decision to close in March was lauded as empathetic and prudent. The reopening process has been more challenging. Near-daily changes to open locations, store hours, and level of service offered have confused customers and store employees. Long lines form outside of many Apple Stores every day in otherwise deserted malls. Today Apple updated its Temporary Retail Store Closures FAQ to help address customer concerns. The lengthy document illustrates just how complex the experience has become in an effort to keep stores open.
While Apple has generally managed health within its stores excellently, the need to reclose raises the question: is any store reopening during a pandemic truly safe for the community? Apple monitors local health data very closely and takes reopening or reclosing with serious care, but a store-by-store approach creates ambiguity and leads to additional fruitless trips to malls and public spaces.
Apple has an industry-leading online store capable of handling the volume of sales normally fielded in-person. Many retail team members have filled AppleCare At Home Advisor roles to reinforce online support. Apple has the financial ability to weather extended retail closures and keep all of its employees and customers safe. Until the pandemic is behind us, wouldn’t a great online-only experience be better than a compromised in-store experience?
If your local Apple Store is still open, we’d highly suggest shopping with the Apple Store Online for the remainder of the year and choosing no-contact home delivery instead of Apple Pickup. If possible, use Apple Support online or the Apple Support app instead of making a Genius Bar appointment. At locations with in-store service, you may still need an appointment to shop. Many stores are functioning essentially as “appointment only” locations.
The following stores will re-close effective July 2:
Alabama
- The Summit
California
- Glendale Galleria
- Northridge
- Pasadena
- The Grove
- Third St. Promenade
- Century City
- Manhattan Village
- Beverly Center
- Sherman Oaks
- Topanga
- Los Cerritos
- The Americana at Brand
- Valencia Town Center
- Victoria Gardens
- The Oaks
Georgia
- Cumberland Mall
- Perimeter
- Lenox Square
- Avalon
- Mall of Georgia
Idaho
- Boise Towne Square
Louisiana
- Mall of Louisiana
- Lakeside Shopping Center
Nevada
- Fashion Show
- The Forum Shops
- Town Square
- Summerlin
Oklahoma
- Penn Square
- Woodland Hills
Apple issued a statement regarding the closures:
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. For help with an Apple product, more ways to shop, or additional information on our stores, please visit http://apple.com/retail.
To check your local Apple Store status, visit our interactive tracker. Follow our retail guide for in-depth coverage of the latest Apple Store news.
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