Apple has announced that it will reopen a retail store in the South Korean capital, Seoul, by the end of this week, as part of ongoing efforts to reopen retail operations more broadly amid the coronavirus pandemic. Apple has not announced the next points of sale to reopen soon, but the company has previously said that its stores in the US will begin to return to work in May.
The first Apple Stores were closed in mainland China at the start of the year, and since then, all 458 other Apple retail stores around the world have closed their operations, with a March 27 deadline for the shutdown. Then the date was postponed indefinitely due to the worsening situation with the spread of the virus. As a result, Apple cannot physically trade its own and partner products, provide in-store repair services, and operate free consultation sections with Genius Bar professionals, which have a tangible impact on sales support.
Apple said in a Bloomberg comment that South Korea has shown great progress in preventing the spread of COVID-19. South Korea, with a population of over 51 million, has 10 confirmed cases and a total of 500 deaths. Success in containing the coronavirus has led to the reopening of the only Apple store in the South Korean capital. By the way, last month Apple reopened all 229 retail stores in mainland China.
However, according to Bloomberg, the store will continue to operate during reduced hours to keep customers and employees healthy and the focus will be on product support rather than sales. But Apple still encourages shoppers to order online and only pick up items in store.
Source: 3dnews.ru