Apple reopens more than half its retail stores in China after coronavirus closures
- Apple’s store website shows 29 of 42 locations are opening
- The store closures due to the coronavirus outbreak were one of the main reasons for Apple saying it would not meet its revenue target in the current quarter
As of Monday, 29 of 42 Apple stores in the country are opening, according to a review of the company’s retail websites. Most of these locations are still operating on shortened hours. Some outlets will be open for fewer than eight hours. That compares with a typical 12-hour day, depending on location.
The Cupertino, California-based technology giant has not said when the remaining stores will reopen. However, some Apple websites for specific stores show that operating hours will return to normal as early as the end of this week.
Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook told employees last week that retail locations in China were “starting to reopen, but we are experiencing a slower return to normal conditions than we had anticipated.”
Earlier on Monday, an analysis of official Chinese data showed that Apple’s China iPhone shipments dropped in January as the coronavirus began to spread.
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