Apple Store Reopening Timeline: March
March saw the reopening of all 42-locations in mainland China but the closure of all of Apple’s retail locations outside of greater China.
This post is the second of a multi-entry series covering the Apple Store retail closing and reopening strategy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This entry includes the month of March 2020.
Entry Series:
March 03, 2020
Location: 🇮🇹 Italy
Apple announced that it had been ordered by the Italian government to close the Apple Oriocentre location for the weekend of March 07-08 to help contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. Similar closures at Apple Fioraliso and Apple Carosello occurred on the weekend of February 29-March 01.
Source: Virus forces Apple to temporarily close retail stores in Italy
March 06, 2020
Location: 🇮🇹 Italy
Apple announced that is will cancel at 'Today at Apple' sessions in Italy until March 19 to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Source: Apple cancels 'Today at Apple' in Italy over coronavirus concerns
March 09, 2020
Location: 🇺🇸 USA
Apple cancels 'Today at Apple' sessions in six Washington State Apple stores and retail locations in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Source: Apple cancels 'Today at Apple' sessions in US coronavirus hotspots
Location: 🇮🇹 Italy
Apple announced weekend store closures at several of its retail locations.
According to AppleInsider, these stores were:
“Apple Le Befane, Apple Carosello, Apple Fiordaliso, Apple il Leone, Apple Nave de Vero and Apple Oriocenter will close to the public this weekend”
Apple also announced reduced operating hours for stores in Bergamo, Florence, Milan, and Venice.
Source: Apple expands store closures in Italy amid coronavirus fears
March 11, 2020
Location: 🌎 Worldwide
Apple stores enacted new policies to help manage customer density at its retail locations, including restrictions on the number of customers allowed into the store, reduced seating and surfaces. Employees were also restricted from offering Apple Watch or AirPods demonstrations unless requested by the customer.
Source: Apple Stores taking more measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus
Location: 🇮🇹 Italy
Apple announces that starting tomorrow, it will close all 17 of it's Italian Apple retail stores until further notice due to a national lockdown by the Italian government to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Source: Apple closes all stores in Italy amid coronavirus quarantine
March 12, 2020
Location: 🇮🇹 Italy
Apple closes all 17 of its Italian retail stores 'until further notice.'
Location: 🇨🇳 China
Apple reopens all of their 42 of their stores in China. Apple had begun gradually opening 38/42 stores in the preceding week, with the final four stores reopening on March 12.
Source: All Chinese Apple Stores to reopen Friday, but with reduced hours
March 13, 2020
Location: 🇪🇸 Spain
Apple announces that starting tomorrow, it will close all 11 of it's Spanish Apple retail stores 'until further notice.'
Location: 🇺🇸 USA
Apple temporarily closed the Willow Grove Park retail location on orders from Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania who shut down various public activities in Montgomery Country for two weeks.
Source: Apple shutters all Apple Stores in Spain, first US store on virus fears
Location: 🇦🇹 Austria, 🇦🇺 Australia, 🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇧🇷 Brazil, 🇨🇦 Canada, 🇫🇷 France, 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇯🇵 Japan, 🇲🇽 Mexico, 🇳🇱 Netherlands, 🇸🇬 Singapore, 🇰🇷 South Korea, 🇸🇪 Sweden, 🇨🇭 Switzerland, 🇹🇭 Thailand, 🇹🇷 Turkey, 🇦🇪 UAE, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom, & 🇺🇸 United States
Late Friday (March 13), Apple announced that all stores outside of China, Hong Kong, Macau, & Taiwan will remain closed until March 27. This news came on top of the announcement that stores in Italy and Spain would be closing on March 12 & March 14 respectively.
Source: Apple's COVID-19 response
March 17, 2020
Ahead of the March 27 date initially provided by Apple, retails stores outside of the greater China area are now closed 'until further notice.'
Source: Apple Retail stores now closed 'until further notice'
