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.
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 is more than willing to enact mask mandates for its physical retail stores, both for employees and customers, it's not quite ready to make the same effort with vaccinations against COVID-19. However, the company continues to urge employees to get vaccinated. And apparently the company is launching its biggest campaign to push that message.
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.
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic is forcing a lot of changes, especially as the Delta variant spreads. While there was a point where it seemed like things might be going back to "normal," that's not so much the case anymore. It was just yesterday that Apple planned to welcome back in-person "Today at Apple" sessions at its physical retail stores in the United States and Europe, but it turns out that won't be happening after all.
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.
The first Apple store was scheduled to open in Mumbai later this year, but has now been officially delayed because of the current Covid-19 pandemic and public health situation.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the globe, Apple (and other companies) has had to shift tactics in an effort to keep shoppers and employees alike safe. To that end, the company has made a decision that will go into effect this week, and, as it stands, does not have an end date.
Apple considers in-person work part of the experience. Part of the company culture at a very basic level. But working from home has become the go-to option for many companies and people, a forced result of the global pandemic. So plans had to change, and they keep changing.