Apple will permanently close its retail store in Towson, Maryland—a location that has drawn national attention in recent years as the center of a rare unionization effort among employees of the iPhone maker.
The company announced on Thursday that the store, located in the Towson Town Center mall, will shut down in June and will not be replaced with a new location. Apple stated in a release that the closure is due to "multiple retailers leaving and ongoing operational challenges" at the mall, describing it as a "difficult decision."
Employees were informed of the decision on Thursday morning, during which the store temporarily halted customer service and held a meeting attended by staff, store management, and human resources representatives. Apple also plans to close two other stores in June—one at the Trumbull Mall in Connecticut and another at the North County Mall near San Diego.
Although several retailers, including Crate & Barrel and Banana Republic, have recently left the Towson mall, many employees expressed surprise at the closure, having believed that the store's union status would offer some degree of protection.
Apple stated, "Under the collective bargaining agreement, employees at the Towson store will be eligible to apply for existing open positions at Apple."
However, unlike employees at the other two stores scheduled to close in June, those at the Towson location will not be offered the option to transfer to nearby stores.
The company added in its statement, "As we continue to invest in and grow our retail presence globally, we regularly evaluate our stores to ensure we are best serving the needs of our customers."
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