The COVID-19 pandemic continues. Which means that there are still some changes that companies and people will need to work with. For example, following a surge in new exposures and cases, Apple has decided to close some of its physical retail stores in the United States and Canada.
Mask mandates have come and gone for Apple retail stores. The company has always said it's going to follow the trends of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and adjust accordingly. Which is why it's not too surprising to hear that, as of mid-December, the mask mandate is making a comeback in the United States.
Apple has opened its second retail store in Berlin on the Rosenthaler Strasse in the Mitte borough, the city's center, by the Hackesche Höfe.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Turkey had seen one of its biggest single percentage declines in its currency to date. A currency decline that has been going on for months. But with this latest fall, one of the largest companies in the world made the decision to halt sales of its products until things started to even out.
The currency decline in Turkey continues, with the latest reports saying the economy has seen a historic drop. As a result, Apple has apparently decided that it's going to temporarily halt sales of its products in the region. And, as it stands, there's no clear indication when that might change.
Well, that was fast. After reinstating a mask mandate for its employees and in-store customers in July of this year, the company has decided that, in some states, that rule no longer has to be in place. According to a new report, beginning this week, Apple will start to dial back mask mandates for in-store visits.
Normally, Apple's return policy for the majority of the products the company sells is set at 14 days. There are some exceptions and caveats, but, for the most part, that's the hard and fast rule. That is until the holiday shopping season arrives. That's when Apple decides to extend the policy quite a bit, giving holiday gift givers and receivers some additional time.
In time for the holiday season in 2019, Apple rolled out a boost to Daily Cash earnings for Apple Card owners. Typically, Apple offers 3% cash back when buying eligible products from an Apple Store, either in a physical retail shop or online. And if you use Apple Pay. But while Apple may have skipped last year, it appears the program's boost to 6% was good enough to bring back eventually.
The iPhone 13 lineup is about to launch to the public, which means that retail store employees at Apple's physical shops are going to be very busy (which is not necessarily a new occurrence by any means). But, in addition to that, the holiday shopping season is also right around the corner. As a result, Apple's decided to shell out some more money.
Inventories of Apple's $329 budget iPad are now dwindling ahead of its “California Streaming” event taking place next Tuesday, with a ninth-generation model already lurking.
While Apple has set its sights high when it comes to returning to a sense of normalcy in some areas, it may be grasping at straws for its physical retail spaces. At least in some markets. As the Delta variant of COVID-19 continues to spread, there is still a risk of spread and infection. Just as some staff at one Apple Store discovered.
Apple has had to make a lot of changes for its physical storefronts all across the globe due to the coronavirus pandemic. That included axing in-person "Today at Apple" sessions. And while that left the company to launch online options, obviously going back to "normal" would be ideal. The company does love the in-person vibe after all.