Apple shutters store in China for first time as struggles mount in second-largest market

Apple is shuttering a store in China, marking its first closure in the country amid its mounting struggles in the major smartphone market. 

The Cupertino, Calif.-based company is closing a store in northeastern China, located in Dalian City’s Parkland Mall, on Aug. 9.

That’s the first store in China Apple has been forced to shut down since opening its flagship store in the country in 2008.

It appears the mall has been struggling to survive amid a slump in Chinese consumer spending, with several other retailers, including luxury brands like Michael Kors, Armani, Coach and Hugo Boss, fleeing the location.

“Given the departure of several retailers at the Parkland Mall, we have made the decision to close our store,” Apple spokesman Brian Bumbery told The Post.

“We love serving the Dalian community, and all of our valued team members will have the opportunity to continue their roles with Apple.”

China has been slammed by a slowdown in consumer spending, which has hit the global luxury industry hard.

The Chinese government has launched several stimulus programs in an attempt to encourage spending on smartphones and electric vehicles.

Apple’s dismal performance in China, however, is nothing new – reporting a decline in sales for six quarters in a row.

Last year, it reported total revenue in the country – which is Apple’s second-largest market – of $66.95 billion. That’s nearly 10% less than its peak of $74.2 billion in 2022.

It was Apple’s largest-ever annual sales decline in the region, including dips in all four quarters and a steep 25% drop in the final quarter.

The disappointing year ultimately dethroned the iPhone-maker as China’s biggest smartphone seller.

More competition from Chinese rivals like Huawei, Xiaomi and Vivo has left Apple struggling to hold onto market share.

Its share of smartphone sales in China fell to 15.5% last year, down from 17.9% from the year before, according to tech research firm Counterpoint Research. 

Apple will continue to operate its other store in Dalian, which is located at another shopping mall, Olympia 66.

It plans to open a new store in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen this month, so the company expects to finish the year with 58 stores in China – the same number it had at the start of the year.