Apple has reopened all 90 of its branded retail stores in China as of Today, a company spokesperson confirmed to Bloomberg and Reuters . The stores had all shuttered in early February as China restricted travel in an attempt to slow the coronavirus outbreak, but they have been gradually reopening over the past few weeks.
Apple said that store closures in China, one of the company’s largest markets, were a primary reason why it was forced to revise its quarterly guidance downward last month. While the situation in China may be improving, Apple is likely to be hit elsewhere as the virus spreads around the world. This week the company closed all 17 of its stores in Italy after the government put the country in lockdown.
“It feels to me that China is getting the coronavirus under control,” CEO Tim Cook said in an interview with Fox Business two weeks ago. “I mean you look at the numbers, they’re coming down day by day by day. And so I’m very optimistic there. ” Cook went on to point out that Apple’s suppliers were reopening factories, the closure of which had also caused Apple to lower its guidance due to projected supply constraints.
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