Apple closes Charleston branch in the US after 20 employees infected

Ahead of New Product Launches Including iPhone 13 in September
Delta Variant Also Makes Retail Normalization Difficult

The Charleston store detail page on the Apple website displays a notice stating, "Temporarily closed. Please make purchases online." Photo by Apple website capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] More than 270 Apple retail stores across the United States, which had been reopening since the end of June, have encountered a setback due to the Delta variant of the virus.

Bloomberg reported on the 19th (local time) that "the Charleston store in South Carolina was closed after more than 20 employees were exposed to COVID-19, making Apple's efforts to normalize retail operations more difficult." Considering that a store the size of Charleston typically employs 70 to 80 people, about one-quarter were infected.

Apple announced on its online website that the Charleston store would reopen next week, but a "closed" notice remains posted at the store entrance. Bloomberg added that an Apple spokesperson declined to provide an official comment regarding this matter.

As the Delta variant spread, Apple had initially lifted the mask mandate for retail employees in June but reinstated it last month. It is also known to have developed a remote work program allowing some retail employees to work online.

With important events in the second half of the year, including the release of the new iPhone 13 series and other new products scheduled for September, Apple is presumed to be facing many challenges. Retail stores are key sales channels where customers can directly experience new products and interact face-to-face with employees.

Bloomberg noted, "As Apple launches new iPads, iPhones, Apple Watches, AirPods, and MacBooks, physical stores will be very important to Apple over the coming months."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.