Apple will reopen around 100 retail stores in the US by the end of the week, the company confirmed to The Verge. That will put Apple’s active retail locations in the country at 130 out of 271 spread out across 21 states. The company is reopening each location in phases, so some stores will support only curbside pickup, while others will allow in-store service and sales.
The states that will soon have active Apple Stores are: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin, the report says. New York’s only store to reopen will be its Victor location just outside Rochester, New York, with more of the state’s stores — including those in New York City — to reopen later.
“This week we’ll return to serving customers in many US locations. For customer safety and convenience, most stores will offer curbside or storefront service only, where we provide online order pick-up and Genius Bar appointments,” Apple said in a statement given to The Verge. “Others will be open for walk-in customers and we encourage everyone to check their local store webpage for more information about hours at their preferred location. Customers can also visit apple.com for support by phone or chat. We are committed to reopening our stores in a very thoughtful manner with the health and safety of our customers and teams as our top priority, and we look forward to seeing our customers again soon.”
More than half of Apple’s 510 worldwide retail stores are located throughout the US, but a vast majority of locations have been closed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In some states where shelter-in-place orders have been eased or lifted, the company has already resumed retail operations. Those include stores in Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, and South Carolina, which were part of the first wave of Apple Store reopenings that began earlier in May. Apple has been slowly reopening its stores worldwide, starting first with its 42 locations in mainland China, as countries have relaxed lockdown measures.
Apple’s focus so far has been less on selling products in its physical stores to walk-in customers and more on reopening its Genius Bar for service requests and repairs. The company had to shut down its on-site repair operation in March as part of its broader store closures, which meant some customers had to wait to pick up products that were locked up or couldn’t be easily fixed and returned by mail. With more stores reopening, however, Apple will now let customers come back in to pick up devices, either through curbside pickup or through in-store service, depending on the location.
Retail chief Deirdre O’Brien published a blog post earlier this month outlining Apple’s strategy for social distancing within its stores and the other safety measures it was taking to keep customers and staff safe. “Face coverings will be required for all of our teams and customers, and we will provide them to customers who don’t bring their own. Temperature checks will be conducted at the door, and posted health questions will screen for those with symptoms — like cough or fever — or who have had recent exposure to someone infected with COVID‑19,” O’Brien wrote. Additional measures include enhanced deep cleanings of all surfaces, display products, and other high-traffic areas.
“We’ve also taken this time to consider how we can serve our customers’ needs even more effectively, whether online or in our stores,” O’Brien continued. “For many stores, that will mean curb‑side pick‑up and drop off. If you choose to buy online, we can ship to your home or make your new items available for convenient pick‑up at our stores.”
