All U.S. Apple stores open for first time in nearly a year

Apple has finally reopened all 270 U.S. Apple stores in some capacity for the first time in nearly one year.

As reported by 9to5Mac's Michael Steeber:

Every Apple Store in the United States is open for the first time in nearly a year. It was 353 days ago — March 13, 2020 — that Apple closed all of its retail stores outside of Greater China.

While some Apple Stores offer in-store shopping appointments and others can accept Express pickup of online orders only, all 270 US locations are now open in some capacity as of March 1, 2021. Apple Stores in Texas around Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio were the last to reopen today.

As the report notes, Apple closed all of its stores on March 13, 2020, outside of Greater China in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Apple stores in the U.S. have flip-flopped between open, closed, or somewhere in-between, with many offering express shopping experiences and curbside pickup.

Some have been closed longer than others. After reopening in May following a closure for the pandemic, Apple Pioneer Place in Portland Oregon was caught up in riots just a few days later, and has been closed since May as a result.

As Steeber notes, Apple still continues to manage its store with various measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including asking customers to wear masks, temperature checks, and social distancing measures. Other stores outside of the U.S., including in the UK, remain closed to all but Genius Bar services by appointment only.