Apple Closes All Retail Stores Outside Greater China Until Late March
Apple shuts down all of its retail stores worldwide except in Greater China until March 27th to slow the spread of COVID-19. The company continues to pay hourly workers and pledges $15 million toward global recovery efforts.
Apple closes all of its retail stores outside of Greater China until March 27th in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. CEO Tim Cook announces that this decision excludes locations in China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, where stores recently reopen after shutting down in early February. Stores in Italy and Spain, which already close due to the pandemic, remain shut.
The tech giant applies lessons learned from the initial spread of the virus in China to minimize transmission risks. Cook states that reducing density and maximizing social distance represent the most effective ways to protect team members and customers. Additionally, Apple transitions all office workers worldwide outside of Greater China to flexible work arrangements and shifts its upcoming WWDC developer event to an online-only format.
Apple supports its workforce by continuing to pay all hourly workers as if operations continue normally and expanding leave policies to accommodate illness, caregiving, and quarantine needs. The company commits $15 million to assist with worldwide recovery efforts and directs customers to use its website for service and support while physical locations are closed. Apple also sets up a dedicated COVID-19 information section within its Apple News app.