Apple may re-open its physical stores in mid-April

Earlier this month we reported about Apple’s decision to close down all the stores outside China until 27th March 2020. The company took the decision after the increase in coronavirus cases worldwide. Later Apple announced that the stores worldwide will be closed indefinitely to prevent exposure to coronavirus.

Now, a new report claims that the company might be planning to open stores in mid-April. Bloomberg managed to secure an internal memo written by Apple’s Senior Vice President of People and Retail Deirdre O’Brien notifying employees of the coming change.

For all of our retail stores outside of Greater China, we will reopen our stores on a staggered basis. At this time, we anticipate some stores may be able to open in the first half of April depending on the conditions in their community. We will provide updates for each store as soon as specific dates are established.

– Deirdre O’Brien

Apple will also be making assessments every week about whether employees are needed to work from home or not. The coronavirus numbers are increasing every day so it’s not sure if the company’s decision will change or if the company plans to go through with it and re-open stores in April. In the meantime, you can check out a comprehensive FAQ published by Apple for its customers detailing the changes to its policies to accommodate the ongoing health crisis.