Roger Fingas
Apple will close its Simi Valley, Calif. store on Sept. 15, the company has announced, despite an iPhone launch likely happening as little as a week or so later.
"Thank you for over 10 great years," a message on Apple's website reads. "The last day we will be open is September 15." With Simi Valley shuttered, the next closest locations will be The Oaks, Northridge, and Topanga, the latter of which is being renovated and will only reopen on Sept. 16.
The Apple retail chain has seen almost non-stop global expansion in the past several years, and may soon hit 500 locations. That makes a closure without a replacement unusual, particularly given the timing involved.
Apple is expected to announce three new iPhones — the "iPhone 8", "iPhone 7s", and "iPhone 7s Plus" — at a Sept. 12 press event, and ship them later the same month. The company should also reveal a 4K Apple TV and an LTE-equipped Apple Watch.
The Simi Valley outlet has presumably run into weak sales, making it difficult to justify given other shops nearby. It's not yet clear though what will happen to the store's workers.
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25 Comments
Isn't this the first Apple Retail Store to close permanently?
Presumably the timing is dictated by the lease terms. It wouldn't make financial sense to re-up for a year just because it happened to expire a couple weeks before a new product launch.
The outdoor mall at Simi has been losing tenants almost as soon as it open 10 years ago. There is almost no foot traffic for any of the stores. I have been surprised Apple stayed as long as they did.
The Northridge and Topanga locations are always very busy.
At some point, I believe Apple will need to revisit it's retail strategy. Large malls are declining, in many areas, as online takes a larger share of consumer's wallets...
There is a newly refurbished Apple Store at the Thousand Oaks mall less than a 10 min drive away from the Simi location.