Every Apple Store location in the US has reopened from today, about two weeks before the commemoration of the first store closure due to the coronavirus pandemic that started on March 13, 2020. The news, reported by 9to5Mac this morning it coincides with the last of Apple’s Texas stores reopening Monday. Apple also confirmed The edge that all 270 U.S. Apple Store locations are now open for in-store shopping or online ordering.
This, of course, has no direct correlation with the rate of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the US; Apple follows local health guidelines in many cases and has in some cases closed its stores for the time being. But it does indicate that Apple is confident in its restrictions on retail stores in certain locations and the security measures it has put in place, which include the mandate for face masks and limited occupancy.
Apple CEO Tim Cook announced almost a year ago that the company would close all of its retail locations outside mainland China until the end of the month. At the time, Apple was developing its COVID-19 mitigation strategy for its China network of stores, which only began closing on February 1 before the widespread coronavirus outbreak in the US. On March 17, Apple said it would keep all stores outside China indefinitely as COVID-19 businesses skyrocketed around the world.
What followed in the months that followed involved an intricate mix of store openings and closures, while Apple complied with local and state health guidelines and also put the safety of its own retail workers first. In some cases, stores were opened in a limited capacity to close later, while others were closed for long periods.
Apple began implementing its official reopening strategy in the United States in early May, and it continued for months until the fall during the summer. Yet Apple has shown that it wants to respond quickly to changing circumstances. In December 2020, it closed every store in California and London as case numbers rose during the holidays. Early last month, Apple temporarily closed every store in the UK.
Look for a fascinating pair of infographics that set the course from the closure of Apple Store in the United States from March to today 9to5Mac‘s story here.