Apple plans to reopen all its 15 retail stores in Germany on May 11, according to a published report.
Germany will become only the second country in Europe to resume Apple Store operations since the majority of locations closed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic almost two months ago.
German Mac news site Macerkopf reported Friday the plans for store reopenings across the country with an updated retail pos hardware.
Cult of Mac has also confirmed all 15 stores will reopen Monday at 11 a.m. local time, contradicting reports that only three stores will unlock their doors to customers May 11.
Unlike many nations that have struggled to control the spread of COVID-19, Germany has been able to mitigate the virus’s spread since January. As a result, German Chancellor Angela Merkel eased the nation’s lockdown Thursday, permitting all shops in Germany to reopen. State administrations can still decide to keep them shut if they wish. All retail businesses must still take measures to ensure distancing and enhanced hygiene.
As of Friday, Germany had 169,430 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 7,392 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
In a prepared statement, translated to English, Apple representatives in the country said:
After many Germans have been working and learning from home, we will initially focus on service and support at the Genius Bar. Until further notice, we will take additional precautions, such as checking body temperature, maintaining the minimum distance, and wearing mouth-to-nose coverings and timings to ensure that customers and employees stay healthy. Our concept for maintaining the minimum distance requires that only a limited number of visitors stay in the store at the same time, so that walking customers may have to wait at the entrance. We recommend our customers, if possible, to shop online with the options for delivery or collection in the store.
Apple is pleased to welcome more visitors to European stores again next week. Apple missed its customers in Germany and is happy to offer you support again. Apple’s thoughts are still with all those who are affected by COVID-19 or who are doing everything around the clock to treat COVID-19, to research and to limit the spread. The exact opening times of the stores can be found on the Apple Retail website shortly.
Apple closed virtually all its retail stores outside Mainland China on March 14 as a result of the global pandemic. Since then, it has opened a handful of stores around the world, including two in South Korea, one in Vienna, Austria on May 5, and 21 of its 22 stores throughout Australia on May 7.
Apple CEO Tim Cook told Bloomberg in late April that the company would “look at the data” and make decisions on reopening Apple Stores “city by city, county by county, depending on the circumstances in that particular place.”
Overnight, Apple launched a virtual online store hub in the United States only, for the time being, with links to Apple shopping services, frequently asked questions, and a Today at Apple at Home section, letting users watch prerecorded training videos remotely from home.
