What to know about the Houston Apple store closures
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- As Texas faces a "massive outbreak" in the coronavirus pandemic, Apple is shutting down a handful of stores across Houston.
According to Apple's website, seven Houston-area locations will be closed for in-store shopping starting Thursday, June 25. Shoppers can still order items online and pick them up via curbside services.
This includes its locations in the Galleria, Highland Village, Memorial City, Willowbrook, Baybrook and First Colony malls, along with its location in The Woodlands.
The company has now re-closed 18 stores in the country.
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A company spokesperson sent ABC13 the following statement:
"Due to current COVID-19 conditions in some of the communities we serve, we are temporarily closing stores in these areas. We take this step with an abundance of caution as we closely monitor the situation and we look forward to having our teams and customers back as soon as possible. For help with an Apple product, more ways to shop, or additional information on our stores, please visit http://apple.com/retail."
Apple, like many other major U.S. retailers, shut down all of its U.S. locations in March.
Last week, Apple said it would shut 11 stores, six in Arizona, two in Florida, two in North Carolina and one in South Carolina that had reopened just a few weeks ago.
Like many of the biggest players in the technology industry, Apple has been faring far better than most companies amid pandemic-induced recession.
The store closures won't put a significant dent in Apple's sales, said Wedbush Securities, Daniel Ives, but they are "a worrisome trend."
The Cupertino, California, company has continued to sell iPhones and other products online, and other retailers can do so as well if they decide to close, said Craig Johnson, president of retail consultancy
Customer Growth Partners.
"I don't think this is going to be a giant stumbling block for Apple or anybody else. You can still get almost everything you need online somewhere," he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
