Apple has reopened all of its retail outlets in China, more than a month after they were closed in an attempt to slow the spread of cCoronavirus Covid-19.
The iPhone manufacturer had been following the lead of other multinational organisations in the country but said it hoped to re-open all of its 42 stores as soon as possible.
Some outlets in Beijing reopened in February but with limited opening hours.
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China is a major market for Apple, but the impact of the coronavirus has had a significant impact on sales – especially since the outbreak occurred during Chinese New Year. According to Reuters, Apple shifted fewer than 500,000 devices in February.
China is a major assembler of devices and supplier of components for the entire industry, meaning the virus has affected the global supply chain. Some manufacturing facilities shut down in the immediate wake of the outbreak, but production has resumed at many plants, easing the disruption.
Foxconn, a major contract manufacturer and partner of Apple, says the resumption of production has exceeded all expectations and that supplies had returned to normal. However even a robust supply chain cannot compensate for weak consumer demand.
Many firms have either withdrawn or revised forecasts because of fears of a drop in consumer spending across the world. Coronavirus, which has officially been classified as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation, has so far infected more than 100,000 people across the world.
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Via Reuters
