Apple stores outside of China that have been closed since March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic will reopen on Saturday and will resume physical retail operations, an Apple representative confirmed.
Apple is looking to reopen its first and only retail store in Seoul, South Korea on April 18 as the company seeks to push for a resumption of physical retail operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Aside from South Korea, the company has no concrete plans yet to reopen stores elsewhere, although Apple has said in the past that it could start reopening stores in the US sometime in May.
The retail store in Seoul will have limited hours and will focus on fixing existing customers’ iPhones and computers. “To start, we’ll have an adjusted schedule and guidelines to ensure customers and employees continue to stay healthy. A focus for the store will be service and support at the Genius Bar. For customers who want to make a purchase, we have several options including ordering online for delivery or pick up in-store,” Apple said in a statement.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Apple's CEO Tim Cook said South Korea, which has a population of more than 51 million, has just over 10,500 confirmed cases and only 229 deaths. The country’s success at containing the virus is why Apple now feels comfortable reopening its sole store in the South Korean capital.
In a virtual meeting with Apple’s corporate staff on Thursday, CEO Tim Cook said the company doesn’t yet know when employees will be able to return to corporate offices and that when that does become possible, it will likely involve social distancing measures and possibly temperature checks.
Apple’s head of human resources and retail, Deirdre O’Brien, further said Apple is reworking on its vacation policies so that the company can meet the needs of the employees.
