Apple will close its first unionized U.S. store
The Maryland location is 1 of 3 Apple stores closing in June. Workers at the other two are being offered transfers
Andreas Solaro / Getty Images
Apple $AAPL will permanently close its first unionized U.S. retail store, the Apple Towson Town Center in Towson, Maryland, in June, the company confirmed this week. The closure is one of three planned for that month, with stores in Trumbull, Connecticut, and Escondido, California, also set to shut down.
In explaining the shutdowns, Apple cited "the departure of several retailers and declining conditions" at each of the three mall locations. The Trumbull Mall recently defaulted on more than $150 million in loans, according to 9to5Mac. Multiple retailers, including Tommy Bahama, Banana Republic, and Wockenfuss Candies, had already left Towson Town Center earlier this year.
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Employees at the Trumbull and Escondido stores will be transferred to nearby Apple retail locations. Towson workers, by contrast, will only be "eligible to apply for open roles at Apple in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement," Apple said in a statement.
The union representing Towson workers, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, characterized the differential treatment as union busting. In a statement, the union said: "Apple's claim that the collective bargaining agreement prevents relocation is simply false and raises serious concerns that this closure is a cynical attempt to bust the union." It also vowed to pursue "all legal options" and said it would "work with elected officials and allies to hold Apple accountable."
The Towson store became the first Apple Store to unionize in June 2022. Apple and the Towson workers reached a contract agreement in 2024. According to Bloomberg, Apple has one other unionized U.S. store, located in Oklahoma City, which remains open.
According to Bloomberg, Apple gathered staff, managers, and human resources representatives at the store this week to notify employees of the closure, shutting the location to customers for the occasion. Apple closed the three stores to customers that day, though all three were listed as scheduled to reopen temporarily before their permanent June closure.
Despite the closures, 9to5Mac reports that Apple's retail footprint has been growing: over the past year, the company launched 11 stores globally and renovated or replaced 14 more, with domestic activity alone accounting for two openings and eight upgrades.