Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) stores will remain closed in California, heading into 2021, as part of safety measures in response to the deteriorating COVID-19 situation in the state. Stores in the San Francisco bay area and Los Angeles are already closed with a notice letting customers know they remain temporarily closed.
Store Closures
Currently, there are more than 100 Apple stores that are non-operational. While there is no word on when the stores will come back online, some are letting customers pick up their orders. The stringent measures come on COVID cases in the state getting out of hand.
Apple stores also remain closed in Tennessee as well as in the U.K, where tier 4 restrictions have triggered a significant reduction in-store traffic. Last week alone, close to 18 stores were closed down in Germany, and the Netherlands as Europe also sees a significant rise in COVID cases.
While some stores remain opened in the U.S and Europe, Apple operates in a ‘Limited Express’ capacity. In a bid to reduce interactions between staffers and customers, the tech giant is only allowing pickups and genius bar appointments. In-store shopping and browsing have been suspended indefinitely as part of social distancing measures.
COVID-19 Effects
Apple began closing down stores early in the year as the U.S battled the first wave of infections. Reopening began in June as cases of infections declined. However, a second wave of infection started to bite the iPhone maker was forced to shut down some stores in response to local guidelines and conditions.
Apple stores still opened have required customers to wear masks all the time. Similarly, the company has had to limit store occupancy in addition to conducting temperature checks and carrying out deep cleaning regularly.
In response to reduced store traffic, Apple has bolstered investments in e-commerce, which has helped offset losses in brick and mortar stores. However, it is still unclear how the shutdown will affect the company’s earnings heading into 2021.
