Over Half of Apple's Retail Stores in China Reopened Amid Ongoing Coronavirus Outbreak - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Over Half of Apple's Retail Stores in China Reopened Amid Ongoing Coronavirus Outbreak

Apple has now reopened 29 of its 42 retail locations in China, according to Apple's store websites in the country that were reviewed by Bloomberg. Many of Apple's stores in China have been shut down for the last few weeks due to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.

applechina
Most locations that have been reopened continue to operate on shortened hours, with some open for less than eight hours a day. Additional stores are expected to reopen as soon as this week, but there is no word on when all Apple Stores in China will be operational.

Apple last week said that its March quarter revenue will fall short of expectations because of constrained iPhone supplies worldwide and lower customer demand for Apple products in China caused by store closures.

The shuttered stores and limited hours have significantly reduced customer traffic, and though Apple's supplier factories in areas outside of the Hubei province have reopened, ramp up to full production on devices has been slower than expected.

According to a second report from Bloomberg, Apple's iPhone sales started dropping in January as the coronavirus spread. Numbers supplied by a UBS research note that includes official Chinese data suggests iPhone sales fell 28 percent compared to the prior month, which is a larger than normal decline for that time of the year.

February sales numbers are expected to be "far worse" due to supply and demand issues related to the outbreak.

Apple has said it is continuing to monitor the coronavirus situation and will provide additional information during its next quarterly earnings call in April.

Popular Stories

iPhone Duo Display Cracking

Apple Alerts Stores to iPhone Duo's Display Cracking Issue

Friday October 30, 2026 3:20 pm PDT by
In a memo shared with Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers this week, and later obtained by MacRumors, Apple provided technicians with guidance on how to diagnose and address the iPhone Duo's inner display cracking issue. If a customer reports the issue, Apple advised technicians to inspect the iPhone Duo and repair or replace it in accordance with their standard procedures....
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Stores Reportedly Rolling Out New Anti-Theft System for iPhones

Sunday October 25, 2026 8:18 am PDT by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today reported that Apple is facing a growing problem where some people will buy iPhones or other products and either remove accessories from the box, open up the device and remove components, and/or remove the entire device, and then attempt to return the box hoping that the employee will not notice. When a customer seeks to return an iPhone, he said that Apple's...
iphone duo feature

Apple Says iPhone Duo Not Available on Walk-In Basis in Three Countries

Monday October 19, 2026 11:00 am PDT by
For a limited time, the iPhone Duo and the iPhone 18 Pro Max will be limited to customers with a pickup reservation at Apple Stores in Japan, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates, according to notices posted on Apple's localized websites for those countries. The notices suggest that the iPhone Duo will not be available for walk-in customers at Apple's retail locations in Japan, South...

Top Rated Comments

outskirtsofinfinity Avatar
87 months ago

Amazing how the media hype machine can whip up a panic over a flu virus. The media loves this btw. However Spring is right around the corner and with it goes the corona flu virus. Everyone is going to feel very silly in a few months for panicking over nothing
The bottom line is, when your Government:

* quarantines 50% of your population
* bans any travel, even down the street, without a permit
* marches quarantine violators to re-education camps
* runs two city cremation units at full capacity for weeks
* starts up 40 additional incinerators
* uses the military to run point on infection control
* stops nearly the entire workforce in half the country

...then the official story is nothing but propaganda lies. No country commits economic suicide for a "flu" virus that has killed a couple thousand people in a country of 1.7 billion.

This is a lot worse than what you are hearing.
Score: 47 Votes (Like | Disagree)
87 months ago
Seems like a pretty bad idea.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
87 months ago

All about the $$$ for Apple isnt? shocking! :eek:
Easy to see it that way, but what about (a) customers needing support? (b) companies needing new equipment? ... there's lots of reasons to find a good balance in this situation beyond just making another dollar.


Corona is a flu virus without a vaccine. Only 2600 have died from it in China thus far. This last winter, since the flu vaccine was so bad, the CDC is estimating 40,000 dead from it. That should help keep things in perspective - it's not about preventing deaths, it's about preventing another common flu-type illness from being in the wild, and we're at that point. Every year the flu kills 20,000-50,000 in the US alone. If the press printed this tomorrow but didn't mention it was normal, there would be panic.

In 1918, 500,000 americans died from the flu. That's what the flu does to a population without a vaccine and proper treatment. So pull it together, it's not a big deal. Those that are dying probably had an underlying condition or were the very young and/or elderly.
Speaking of spreading misinformation, COVID-19 is NOT a "flu" virus.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-disease-2019-vs-the-flu

Come back to us when you've learned a few more things. :cool:
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PickUrPoison Avatar
87 months ago

This virus has nothing to do with the transmission from the animal world to humans. The virus didn’t jump from a dead animal. It was released at the market to infect as many people as possible, but it didn’t originate there.
Once the epidemic is contained, we will learn that this was a terrorist attack with a biological weapon.

SCMP reported that genetic sequencing has proven that this virus didn’t cross into humans the way that the Chinese government claims.You can read that article for yourself.
If you’re going to make this claim, it’s incumbent on you to supply references to support it. What I’ve read says COVID-19 is 82% homologous to SARS and about 88% homologous to two different bat coronaviruses.

Where did you read that this is a terrorist attack? The claim is highly suspect.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
87 months ago
Questionable move... While a transmission should not occur if certain procedures are in place, they need to be carried out very strictly and precisely. I doubt it's worth it for non-essential goods.

The bottom line is, when your Government:

* quarantines 50% of your population
* bans any travel, even down the street, without a permit
* marches quarantine violators to re-education camps
* runs two city cremation units at full capacity for weeks
* starts up 40 additional incinerators
* uses the military to run point on infection control
* stops nearly the entire workforce in half the country

...then the official story is nothing but propaganda lies. No country commits economic suicide for a "flu" virus that has killed a couple thousand people in a country of 1.7 billion.

This is a lot worse than what you are hearing.
So, the first 3 are quarantine actions... nothing special there, at least not for China.
Next 2 items: In an epidemic it makes a lot of sense to burn all dead rather than conventional burrying. That alone will require at least double capacity. And yes, on top of that are the dead from the virus.
Even in western democrazy, use of military to perform certain tasks in a pandemic is very likely. Police and civil forces might not have capacity for that (or better things to do than the additonal security role). Also, the military does have equipment to deal with biological weapons, which come in handy during an epidemic.
Trying to contain the virus and thus stopping producton for a limited time is overall better than the alternative, especially when considering international reputation and recent history (SARS). Additionally, Chinese leadership is fearing to lose its face within the country if they fail on this. So, they can't handle it lightly regardless if it's 10%, 5% or 0.1% lethality. Last but not least the lethality of the virus highly depends on adequate healthcare. Those with sever symptoms often need a ventilator, some others might need other critical assistance. If you provide that, lethality seems to be around 1-3%. If you run out of capacity, lethality is likely much higher. As such it is vital to slow down the infection rate to a level at which it can be supported by the health care system. (Proper) Quarantine is helping a lot with that.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
87 months ago
Never forget Apple does whatever China tells them to do. If China says open the doors then Cook orders them open. It's all about profits. Not sure why people still don't understand that.....
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
watchOS 27.3 Brings Live Rewind and Siri Recap to Apple Watch
watchOS 27.3 Brings Live Rewind and Siri Recap to Apple Watch
3 minutes ago
iOS 27.3 Beta Brings Back Apple's Redesigned Health App
iOS 27.3 Beta Brings Back Apple's Redesigned Health App
11 minutes ago
Apple Releases First macOS Golden Gate 27.3 Beta
Apple Releases First macOS Golden Gate 27.3 Beta
28 minutes ago
Apple Seeds First iOS 27.3 Beta
Apple Seeds First iOS 27.3 Beta
29 minutes ago
Apple Releases First watchOS 27.3, tvOS 27.3 and visionOS 27.3 Betas
Apple Releases First watchOS 27.3, tvOS 27.3 and visionOS 27.3 Betas
31 minutes ago
iPad Mini 8 Reviewer Isn't Satisfied With Apple's Excuse for Lack of 120Hz Display
iPad Mini 8 Reviewer Isn't Satisfied With Apple's Excuse for Lack of 120Hz Display
38 minutes ago
iPad Mini 8 Review Claims Battery Life is Way Better Than Apple Says
iPad Mini 8 Review Claims Battery Life is Way Better Than Apple Says
1 hour ago
B&H Photo Launches Early Black Friday Sale With Discounts on Macs and Accessories
B&H Photo Launches Early Black Friday Sale With Discounts on Macs and Accessories
2 hours ago
iPhone Duo Could Take Nearly 30% of Foldable Market in 2027
iPhone Duo Could Take Nearly 30% of Foldable Market in 2027
2 hours ago
Apple Watch Automatically Identifies Songs Playing Around You
Apple Watch Automatically Identifies Songs Playing Around You
3 hours ago
Best Early Black Friday Mac Deals: Save Hundreds on MacBook Air, Mac Mini, and More
Best Early Black Friday Mac Deals: Save Hundreds on MacBook Air, Mac Mini, and More
3 hours ago
iPhone 18 Rumored to Get Larger Battery and Potential Price Increase
iPhone 18 Rumored to Get Larger Battery and Potential Price Increase
3 hours ago
Apple Store in UK Permanently Closing Later This Month
Apple Store in UK Permanently Closing Later This Month
3 hours ago
Apple's Annual R&D Spending Jumps by More Than $11 Billion
Apple's Annual R&D Spending Jumps by More Than $11 Billion
4 hours ago
Will Apple Ever Merge iPadOS and macOS? John Ternus Responds
Will Apple Ever Merge iPadOS and macOS? John Ternus Responds
4 hours ago
MacBook Neo Gets Rare $30 Amazon Discount
MacBook Neo Gets Rare $30 Amazon Discount
4 hours ago
Hands-On: The OLED iPad Mini is Almost an iPad Pro Mini
Hands-On: The OLED iPad Mini is Almost an iPad Pro Mini
5 hours ago
tvOS 27.2.1 and macOS 27.2.1 Likely Coming Soon
tvOS 27.2.1 and macOS 27.2.1 Likely Coming Soon
5 hours ago
MKBHD Switches Back to iPhone 18 Pro After Testing iPhone Duo
MKBHD Switches Back to iPhone 18 Pro After Testing iPhone Duo
5 hours ago
Apple Explores Cheaper Way to Make New MacBook Pro's OLED Tech
Apple Explores Cheaper Way to Make New MacBook Pro's OLED Tech
7 hours ago
Apple Released the iPhone X Nine Years Ago Today
Apple Released the iPhone X Nine Years Ago Today
10 hours ago
Apple Requiring Developers to Disclose Location Sharing and Dating Features in Apps
Apple Requiring Developers to Disclose Location Sharing and Dating Features in Apps
18 hours ago
Apple's Q4 2026 Earnings Call Takeaways
Apple's Q4 2026 Earnings Call Takeaways
18 hours ago
Apple Dodges Question on More Price Hikes as Memory Costs Climb
Apple Dodges Question on More Price Hikes as Memory Costs Climb
19 hours ago
Apple CEO Ternus Says iPhone Duo Shortages Have No End Date in Sight
Apple CEO Ternus Says iPhone Duo Shortages Have No End Date in Sight
21 hours ago
Apple Reports 4Q 2026 Results: $30.7B Profit on $114.5B Revenue
Apple Reports 4Q 2026 Results: $30.7B Profit on $114.5B Revenue
21 hours ago
Early Black Friday Brings Steep Price Drops on Apple's Latest iPhone Cases
Early Black Friday Brings Steep Price Drops on Apple's Latest iPhone Cases
1 day ago
John Ternus Hosting His First Earnings Call as Apple CEO Today
John Ternus Hosting His First Earnings Call as Apple CEO Today
1 day ago
Here's What Spotify Looks Like on Apple's HomeView
Here's What Spotify Looks Like on Apple's HomeView
1 day ago
iOS 27.2.1 Coming Soon, iOS 27.3 Beta Likely Available Tomorrow
iOS 27.2.1 Coming Soon, iOS 27.3 Beta Likely Available Tomorrow
1 day ago