Why Is Apple Closing Some Of Its Stores Mere Weeks After Reopening?

Mere weeks after reopening over 100 stores, Apple has announced that it will be closing a number of its locations.

Eleven stores in Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina will be closing as of Saturday due to spikes in coronavirus cases in certain communities. The six stores closed in Arizona are the only locations Apple operates in that state.

The specific stores being closed include the following locations: Chandler Fashion Center, Scottsdale Fashion Square, Arrowhead, SanTan Village, Scottsdale Quarter, and La Encantada in Arizona; Waterside Shops and Coconut Point in Florida; Northlake Mall and Southpark in North Carolina; and, Haywood Mall in South Carolina.

“Due to current COVID-19 conditions in some of the communities we serve, we are temporarily closing stores in these areas,” Apple said in a statement. “We take this step with an abundance of caution as we closely monitor the situation and we look forward to having our teams and customers back as soon as possible.”

All of the states affected by these closures have been amongst those seeing a new surge in COVID-19 cases.

Experts suggest that these regions may be seeing a spike in infections due to the fact that they avoided the worst of the virus’s initial spread across the U.S. Florida, in particular, have been singled out as a new potential epicenter for the outbreak.

“These are not decisions we rush into,” Apple senior vice president Deirdre O’Brien explained as stores began to reopen last month. “And a store opening in no way means that we won't take the preventative step of closing it again should local conditions warrant.”