Apple will permanently close three of its U.S. retail locations this June — one of which made history as the first Apple Store in the country to unionize — citing deteriorating conditions at the shopping malls that house them, the company said Thursday.
The closures have drawn swift backlash from the workers’ union. It called the move a deliberate effort to undermine organized labor.
3 shuttered US Apple stores include the first to unionize
The locations slated for closure are Apple Trumbull in Trumbull, Connecticut, Apple North County in Escondido, California, and the recently unionized Apple Towson Town Center in Towson, Maryland. The Towson closure drew heated criticism from the union and could lead to a court case.
Apple pointed to the broader struggles of the retail centers in which the stores operate as the reason for the closures. It provided a statement to MacRumors:
At Apple, we are constantly striving to deliver exceptional service and great experiences for our customers. As we continue investing to expand and enhance our retail stores and offerings worldwide, we remain deliberate about evaluating our existing locations to ensure that we can meet our customers’ needs in the best way. Following the departure of several retailers and declining conditions at Trumbull Mall, the Shops at North County, and Towson Town Center, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our stores at these locations.
Trumbull Mall, for example, recently defaulted on more than $150 million in loans amid ongoing struggles and business closures. Multiple retailers at Towson Town Center also shuttered earlier this year, including Tommy Bahama and Banana Republic.
What happens to employees
Photo: Apple
Apple said employees at the Trumbull and North County stores will continue their roles at nearby Apple retail locations. Towson employees, however, will only be eligible to apply for open roles at Apple in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement. That distinction — transfers guaranteed for two stores, but not the unionized one — is at the heart of the union’s complaint.
All three stores are temporarily closed Thursday and reopen Friday.
The union’s response
Apple Towson Town Center became the first Apple Store to unionize in June 2022. Workers ratified a contract with the company in August 2024. Its stipulations included higher pay, scheduling protections and a disciplinary process with additional worker protections. The store employs roughly 90 people.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), which represents the Towson employees through its Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (IAM CORE), issued a statement condemning the closure:
The IAM Union is outraged by Apple’s decision to close its Towson, Md., store — the first unionized Apple retail location in the United States — and abandon both its workers and a community that relies on it for critical services and its unique access to public transit. Apple’s claim that the collective bargaining agreement prevents relocation is simply false and raises serious concerns that this closure is a cynical attempt to bust the union. We are exploring all legal options and will work with elected officials and allies to hold Apple accountable. We stand with our IAM CORE members and the community that depends on this store for essential access and support.
Union representative Kevin Gallagher noted that Baltimore-area residents will now have to travel to Columbia or Annapolis to reach the nearest Apple Store.
So far, Apple has not commented on the union’s response.
Context: Apple’s retail expansion continues
Photo: Apple
Despite the closures, Apple’s broader retail footprint continues to grow. The company has opened 11 new stores around the world since the start of 2025, including locations in Miami and Detroit, and plans to open its first stores in Saudi Arabia. Apple also achieved an all-time revenue record last quarter, meaning the three closures are not a reflection of the company’s overall financial health.
While the news may invite accusations of union-busting, multiple reports have noted that Towson Town Center is in significant decline. At the same time, Apple could have gone above and beyond the collective bargaining agreement by offering affected Towson employees the option to transfer to a nearby location — as it did for workers at the other two closing stores — but evidently chose not to.
Whether that decision was a business call or a labor-relations one may ultimately be decided in court.
David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
