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It won’t. Nothing will ever ‘normalize’ after this situation, likely because it’s still not fully understood and how it will Impact retail businesses long-term, because this is something that just won’t ‘go away’.

If you look at Apple stores collectively as a whole, they will eventually reopen, but the implementation of new practices with heightened levels of cleanliness with demo products, likely restrictions on how many customers are allowed in the store at once, trial wearing for AirPods will probably be eliminated, and social distancing Will be the new norm. These are all just ‘minor examples’ of how things will not return to ‘normal’.

Yeah
Apart from stores, I expect more controls at airports and train stations, especially for people coming from other countries.
Maybe we'll go back to our daily life once a vaccine is ready, until a new virus is discovered and we have another pandemic. At least we have learned some lessons this time, so hopefully we'll be able to act quickly in the future and avoid a massive lockdown.
I wonder about sport games and concerts, I don't think it will be possible to attend them soon, and maybe venues will be required to sell half of the tickets in order to avoid being too crowded. Same for restaurants and stores, think about Christmas shopping or black friday when there are way too many people inside malls and stores.
 
Better still if they just said "closed until further notice". They don't know when they'll be able to reopen, so why put a date on it....
Nobody wants to hear the country is "closed until further notice" and the message would put a further nail in the coffin for what is going on. Put a date in the future, evaluate and reassess. But this thing isn't going away anytime too soon.
 
How does this affect return policies?...both of ordering online and buying something in a store? I have a new Mac I ordered online 4 weeks ago...it's finally arriving next week...but if I need to return it/exchange it, what's the policy?

If I need to exchange it, it would be far easier to go to my local store and swap it than spend weeks mailing it back, waiting for a refund/credit, ordering a new one, waiting for delivery, etc.

The return policy might be extended upon re-opening of stores. Even if it isn’t, store closure for months on end is a pretty decent excuse to give to a Specialist, I’m sure they would have no issues waiving on.
 
Same thread on Mar 24, 2020 same reply
That is not going to happen. Hopefully yes but reality will crush in.
Yeah, my call all along has been late summer. Now I'm starting to hear talk of autumn from some experts, especially if the curve is flattened, because that prolongs the event but results in much fewer deaths. But the virus could also come back by then as antibodies wear off or the virus mutates. If everything goes according to plan, people will be upset because the economy is ruined and it only killed hundreds of thousands, so what was even the big deal? If we didn't do this, the economy would still be ruined with many millions dead, but it would be over sooner and people would be upset because their loved ones are gone and trying to hold someone accountable for not doing more to prevent this. Not sure if I've seen a more valid description of being wedged between a rock and a hard place, and unfortunately I feel like we're headed to an outcome in the middle of those two which is probably worse because you get a somewhat longer term event and a higher death count. UGH.
 
Apple today informed employees that its Apple retail stores in the United States will remain closed until early May, and Apple employees will continue to work from home until then.
Did they say what year?
 
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No govt official wants to declare a 6 month Stay In Place anti-social distancing ruling - so they're dribbling it out one month at a time. But guaranteed in May, the CoV crisis will be worse than April and June will be worse than May and July worse than June.
 
I need the store open as soon as they can so I can get my replacement unit
Actually, you don't. Call AppleCare and they will exchange it by mail. If you are willing to give them a credit card, they can do an advance exchange and send you the replacement while they wait for you to return your defective unit.

Other than not wanting to stay on hold forever, there's really no reason to wait for the store to open.
 
No govt official wants to declare a 6 month Stay In Place anti-social distancing ruling - so they're dribbling it out one month at a time. But guaranteed in May, the CoV crisis will be worse than April and June will be worse than May and July worse than June.

Let's see how it pans out
The lockdown is going to last until the end of April at best, and I don't expect May to be really different. More people will go to work, some store may open but we'll still have to wear masks and only a limited number of people will be allowed into a store at the same time.
Here in Italy we're starting to have less people in hospitals, the crisis is not over but at least is not getting worse. Other countries haven't reached the peak, so April will be similar to what March has been here, but eventually we'll see less people dead or hospitalised all over the world.
What is going to be worse this summer is the economy, as we'll see the effect of the lockdown for months. Many people will lose their jobs, I think about restaurants, bars, everything concerning night life like discos, cinemas. Maybe we'll be able to go on vacation this summer, but many people won't be able to afford it and I think many people would be worried to travel abroad, and that's going to hurt our economy as well. Hotels are going to face some hard times this year.

Apple will be hurt by the crisis, but in a minor way. Their products are expensive so less people will be able to afford them, but technology is more important than even and as people are working and studying from home more and more Macs and iPads will have a spike in sales.
As for their stores, most people used to buy online even before the crisis. Genius bar appointments are really convenient but we can still get support by sending the device for repair, so it is not the end of the world for Apple and its customers.
 
Yeah
Apart from stores, I expect more controls at airports and train stations, especially for people coming from other countries.
Maybe we'll go back to our daily life once a vaccine is ready, until a new virus is discovered and we have another pandemic. At least we have learned some lessons this time, so hopefully we'll be able to act quickly in the future and avoid a massive lockdown.
I wonder about sport games and concerts, I don't think it will be possible to attend them soon, and maybe venues will be required to sell half of the tickets in order to avoid being too crowded. Same for restaurants and stores, think about Christmas shopping or black friday when there are way too many people inside malls and stores.

It's been over a hundred years since the last pandemic and therefore I'm hoping we will not experience another one in our lifetimes. At first, I think people will be reluctant to go to large events like parades and concerts but that will ease over time. Maybe the TSA will start taking people's temperature at the airport as part of security screening.

However, I don't expect that *long term* there will be half capacity concerts, events or restaurants as that is not a sustainable business model in many cases. Hopefully, medical technology will advance and we'll get that universal flu vaccine that we are supposedly close to.

In the short term I think we are in for all kinds of rational and irrational disruptions though and we'll all have to be patient while it gets sorted out. International travel may not be feasible for most people for awhile.

Sadly, I think we are going to lose significantly more brick and mortar retail over this and Amazon will become even more powerful.
 
Actually, you don't. Call AppleCare and they will exchange it by mail. If you are willing to give them a credit card, they can do an advance exchange and send you the replacement while they wait for you to return your defective unit.

Other than not wanting to stay on hold forever, there's really no reason to wait for the store to open.
I will do that and but I’m a person with low Imune system that’s why want it to go away so I can order it

my situation is different then a normal user with a good immune system.
 
Huh? There have been pandemics all through the last 100years, the last similar one being the H1N1 flu in 2009/10.

I should have been more precise. It's been over a hundred years since the last major worldwide pandemic that has had as great of an impact on the world as COVID-19. The other modern pandemics you quote haven't had nearly the impact as our current situation. No stay at home orders and business closures worldwide for SARS.
 
I will do that and but I’m a person with low Imune system that’s why want it to go away so I can order it

my situation is different then a normal user with a good immune system.
You're immune system has NOTHING to do with you ordering a device. It's safer either way to just order it. Even if COVID was gone, it's still safer to have it delivered.
 
The other issue the packages passes through the areas that are affect not sure how would I get it cleaned.

Follow these steps to safely manage packages and mail upon drop-off:

  1. Avoid direct contact with the delivery person
  2. Leave the package outside for a few hours and/or spray it with aerosol disinfectant before handling
  3. Dispose of all outer packaging immediately
  4. Wash your hands thoroughly for 20 seconds or more
  5. Disinfect any high-touch surfaces you had contact with after handling
  6. Avoid touching your face, including your mouth, eyes and nose
 
Follow these steps to safely manage packages and mail upon drop-off:

  1. Avoid direct contact with the delivery person
  2. Leave the package outside for a few hours and/or spray it with aerosol disinfectant before handling
  3. Dispose of all outer packaging immediately
  4. Wash your hands thoroughly for 20 seconds or more
  5. Disinfect any high-touch surfaces you had contact with after handling
  6. Avoid touching your face, including your mouth, eyes and nose
Can I clean the device ?
 
Was hopeful it wouldn't be extended for that long with the French discovery of hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin plus zinc sulfate treatment that costs ~$20. If the virus doesn't get you the economic impact might.
 
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With over 200Billion in cash, Apple can ride this out for a long time. Steve Jobs was smart hoarding the cash and not wasting it, and glad Apple continues to follow that move.
 
Until there is as NATIONAL LOCKDOWN like in China - there is NO END for this until a vaccine comes out in 2021.
people are not taking there seriously - this virus spreads super easy and people who don't believe in science are denying this fact. Millions of of people thing the US that think by going to church and praying this epidemic will go away.
I would NOT expect ANY STORE will open the the rest if 2020.
 
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