Apple Has Reopened All 270 US Retail Stores

Apple has reopened all 270 of its U.S. stores for the first time since all retail locations were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the country in March of 2020, CNBC reported on Monday (March 1). The last location to reopen was in Texas.

However, not all Apple stores in the country are fully reopened for shoppers to walk in and look around. Some locations are open by appointment only, and others could have limited service. Apple said customers should check its website for complete information about each location, per the article.

Apple announced on March 13 that it was temporarily shutting down its physical stores outside of China as COVID-19 started to spread around the globe. By July 2020, most of Apple’s physical stores were closed and its employees were working remotely. The company has since reopened and reclosed stores in the U.S. and abroad according to changing pandemic conditions.

Apple was spurred by the pandemic to try out new approaches to retail services, including appointment-only and express pickup. The reopened stores have reduced occupancy and mandatory mask requirements for both workers and customers. Apple has also implemented other health and safety guidelines, per CNBC. The company also said it sent coronavirus test kits to workers’ homes.

Worldwide, 12 Apple stores in France and two in Brazil are still closed. Two stores in Mexico are planning to reopen on Tuesday (Mar. 2).

Consumer confidence hit a three-month high in February as more vaccines continued to be rolled out and COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths continued to drop. The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index went up to 91.3 from 88.9 in January. The Present Situation Index rose to 92.0 from January’s 85.5.

Target announced last month that it was expanding its partnership with Apple to include an upgraded and expanded in-store footprint. The new in-store concepts will be launched at 17 locations in 10 states.