Apple shuts up everywhere but in China

Apple Inc said it is closing all its retail stores, except those in China, for the next two weeks to minimize the risk of the novel coronavirus transmission.

The announcement on Saturday escalated the global response to the outbreak, as most companies had previously kept stores open.

"We will be closing all of our retail stores outside of Greater China until March 27," Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote in a letter posted on the company's website late on Friday.

Meanwhile, apparel retailer Urban Outfitters Inc, which owns brands including Anthropologie and Free People, said on Saturday it was closing all its consumer stores worldwide until at least March 28.

Verizon Communications Inc said it was temporarily closing "a number of its stores" across the US in order to expand its work-from-home policy to include some of its retail employees.

T-Mobile US Inc said it will temporary close its stores that are located in a shopping mall starting March 16.

Apple reopened all 42 of its branded stores in China on Friday as the number of new cases fell in the country in which the coronavirus outbreak first erupted.

Retailers are bracing for a blow to sales as virus-wary shoppers in Europe and the US stay home.

Separately, US retailers including Macy's Inc, Saks Fifth Avenue and Gap Inc's Banana Republic sent notices to shoppers on Thursday saying they were open for business in a move to stem losses due to a steep drop in traffic.

Apple's hourly workers will continue to receive pay in alignment with business as usual operation, Cook said, and online sales will continue as usual.

Agencies via Xinhua