Apple announced that some of the company’s retail stores in the US, Canada and Italy will reopen this week.
Deidre O’Brien, senior vice president of Apple Retail, announced Monday that some of the company’s retail stores will reopen this week.
In his report, O’Brien outlined the steps Apple’s stores will take to ensure employee and customer safety.
A cautious reopening
Apple closed all of its stores in March in response to the coronavirus epidemic. 80% of Apple’s global locations (510 stores) were closed for several weeks, despite the country’s stringent isolation and inspection efforts to provide softness to stores within Greater China.
But in the coming days, the tech giant will be gradually opening individual retail stores, reopening 25 stores in the US, 12 in Canada and 10 in Italy. Additional branches will resume business once the threat of the coronavirus is sufficiently neutralized in their regions.
In the United States, locations will reopen in California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Oklahoma and Washington. Some locations in Alabama, Idaho and South Carolina already opened last week.
“Our commitment is only to re-open once we believe we can safely return to serve customers from our stores,” O’Brien said. We look at every available data, including local cases, near and long-term trends, and guidance from national and local health authorities. These are not the results we are rushing about – opening a store by any means that we will not take preventive measures to reopen it if local conditions warrant it.”
New security measures
The services offered at each store vary depending on location. Stores will emphasize the use of the Genius Bar, a flagship service that helps fix Apple devices. Customers can book Genius Bar Advice and drop their device and come back later, reducing the number of people who will last in any store.
Order online and pick-up everywhere.
Still, not every store will allow customer entry. In-person shopping depends on local regulations and can vary based on region. Locations in California and Washington may close doors for shoppers while restarting drop-off/pick-up services.
As for the stores that allow you to shop in person, Apple has a high level of security. All employees and customers will be required to wear a mask, and complimentary face coverings will be provided to someone who is not a guest.
To ensure the good health of anyone who wishes to enter, shops will also conduct temperature tests once customers arrive.
Finally, body-distance activities limit the number of customers allowed in the store at a time, and all individuals are obligated to maintain a minimum distance of six feet from each other.
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