Apple To Shut Its First-Ever Retail Store In China Amid Softened Sales

Apple will shutter its Parkland Mall retail outlet in Dalian, China on August 9 marking the first-ever Apple‑store closure in mainland China since its market entry in 2008.

The store is located in the Zhongshan District and joins a growing list of retailers exiting the complex due to operational challenges.

Apple operates two stores in Dalian. The Olympia 66 location, approximately three kilometers away, will remain open. The company has confirmed that affected employees can transfer to other Apple locations in Greater China, where it operates around 56 stores—representing more than 10% of its over 530 global retail outlets.

The closure reflects broader economic headwinds in China, including deflationary pressures, sluggish consumer spending, and declining retail sales growth. Rising global tariffs have also impacted exports, compounding the challenging retail environment.

Apple’s performance in the region has suffered through consecutive quarters of revenue decline. In Q2 2025, Greater China sales dropped 2.3% to $16 billion, falling short of analyst projections. According to IDC, Apple now ranks fifth in smartphone sales in China, behind local firms such as Huawei, Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi.

Despite the closure, Apple remains committed to its China strategy. A new store is scheduled to open in Shenzhen at Uniwalk Qianhai on August 16, and further openings are planned in Beijing and Shanghai over the coming year. These moves aim to prioritize high‑footfall flagship locations and reinforce Apple’s digital and retail presence in key cities.

The company is also expanding globally—in recent months, new stores were launched in Anhui province, Osaka (Japan), Miami (USA), with further expansion planned in India, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Concurrently, Apple is transitioning more iPhone assembly to India amid trade uncertainties.

This strategic consolidation underscores a cautious recalibration of Apple’s physical retail footprint in China.