Apple has announced that it will close its store at Northbrook Court, a mall in the Chicago area, for good. Though no specific closure date has been shared, the decision reflects changes happening at the mall. The Apple store at Northbrook first opened its doors back in 2005 and later expanded within the mall in 2017. Despite this closure, Apple assures that all employees from this location will remain with the company.
“Apple is all about giving customers a great experience,” an Apple spokesperson stated. “With Northbrook Court Mall undergoing major changes and many stores leaving, we’ve decided it’s time to close our shop here. We’ve enjoyed being part of the Northbrook community for nearly two decades. Our team members will keep their jobs, and we invite our customers to visit any of our other eight stores in the Chicago area, or shop online through Apple.com or our app.”
The announcement was initially covered by Crain’s Chicago Business. Northbrook Court has been struggling, evidenced by the exit of several big-name retailers, with Lululemon being the latest to leave just last month. This isn’t the first time Apple has shut down stores; last year, they closed locations in Infinite Loop and at the Royal Hawaiian.
However, Apple continues to expand globally, having opened new stores in places like Miami Worldcenter, The Exchange TRX in Malaysia, and they’re preparing to open a new store in Downtown Detroit soon. This closure marks another shift in Apple’s retail strategy, balancing between closing underperforming locations and expanding into new markets or revitalized areas.