[News] Apple to Close China Retail Store for the First Time Amid Market Headwinds

According to Bloomberg, Apple has announced it will close its Parkland Mall store in Dalian’s Zhongshan District on August 9—its first retail store closure in China. The move marks a notable pullback in a market where the company is working to revive sales, as the report indicates.

The report notes that Apple operates around 56 stores across the Greater China region, accounting for over 10% of its global network of more than 530 retail locations.

In its Q2 fiscal 2025 earnings report (for the quarter ended March 29, 2025), Apple disclosed Greater China net sales of USD 16.00 billion, reflecting a 2% year-over-year decline compared to USD 16.37 billion in the same quarter of 2024.

The report mentions that China is facing deflationary pressures amid weakening consumer demand and the impact of global tariffs on exports. As the report indicates, retail sales growth has also come in below expectations.

Meanwhile, as noted by the report, Apple is set to open a new store at Uniwalk Qianhai in Shenzhen on August 16. The company also has plans to launch additional locations in Beijing and Shanghai over the coming year. Earlier in January, Apple opened its first store in Anhui province, according to a company press release.

Apple Expands Globally While Scaling Back Select Locations

The company is also continuing its global expansion, with new stores set to open soon in Detroit, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and India, as noted by the report. A location in Osaka opened on July 26, while a major flagship store launched in Miami earlier in January. Last year, the company also opened its first store in Malaysia.

While Apple continues to open new stores, its overall retail expansion has decelerated since the onset of the pandemic. As the report highlights, the company has shifted its focus toward launching online stores in markets like India and Saudi Arabia, and upgrading or relocating existing physical locations.

The company also seems to be taking a more selective approach to lease renewals, announcing the closure of its Bristol store in the UK on the same day as its China shutdown, as Bloomberg points out. According to MacRumors, additional planned closures include the Partridge Creek location in Michigan and the Hornsby store near Sydney.

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