What you need to know
- Apple is planning on reopening some U.S. stores that were previously closed.
- Access to the stores will be limited to those who make an appointment.
- The move comes close to when the company is expected to unveil a number of new products.
Apple is planning to take another whack at opening its retail stores in the United States.
Reported by Bloomberg, the company is planning to reopen a handful of Apple Stores across the country that had been previously closed due to COVID-19. According to the sources, the stores will begin reopening by the end of August and only accept customers who have made an appointment.
The Cupertino, California-based technology giant is slated to open a small number of stores as soon as the end of August, said the people, who asked to remain anonymous discussing plans that haven't been made public. In most cases, the stores will operate on an appointment-only basis for the immediate future, the people said.
According to the report, retail employees have begun to be notified if they will be returning to their stores. Many employees have been working from home and helping customers on the phone or through digital avenues while their stores have been closed. Apple informed employees that it will still be monitoring local conditions and require masks and temperature checks for all employees and customers.
The company began informing retail employees of the imminent reopenings this week, telling staff that stores will continue to follow local guidelines for social distancing and the number of people allowed inside at once. The company has required customers and employees to conduct temperature checks and wear masks.
The move comes as Apple gets closer to its expected announcement of a new lineup of iPhones, a new iPad, and a new Apple Watch in the fall.
A spokesperson for Apple declined to comment on the report.
