Apple to open more stores even as pandemic drives online sales

A general view of Apple’s new flagship store on its opening day on Rome’s main shopping street, Via del Corso, in Rome, Italy, on May 27, 2021. — Reuters

Apple Inc will add to its global retail presence even as stores in inner cities struggle with an accelerating shift to sales online during the coronavirus pandemic, Germany’s Funke Mediengruppe reported.

The Cupertino, California-based company operates about 500 Apple stores globally, including 100 in Europe. Retail locations offer an opportunity for people to experience new technology, ask questions and attend workshops on Apple’s products, Funke said, citing Deirdre O’Brien, the iPhone maker’s senior vice president of retail and people.