Apple is shutting down three of its retail stores in the United States this June, all located inside struggling shopping malls. The affected locations are at Trumbull Mall, the Shops at North County, and Towson Town Center in Maryland. The Towson store had earlier made headlines as Apple’s first unionized retail store in the U.S.
Most employees from the Trumbull and North County stores will be moved to nearby Apple locations, as long as they choose to continue with the company. Workers at the Towson store will have to apply for other roles within Apple, following the terms of their union agreement.
The closures are not entirely unexpected. Shopping malls across the U.S. have been facing a steady decline for years, largely because more people now prefer online shopping over visiting physical stores.
Reflecting on their move, Apple said to MacRumors the company is reviewing its store network and making changes based on customer needs and local conditions. “At Apple, we are constantly striving to deliver exceptional service and great experiences for our customers. As we continue investing to expand and enhance our retail stores and offerings worldwide, we remain deliberate about evaluating our existing locations to ensure that we can meet our customers’ needs in the best way.”
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The company added that the condition of these malls played a key role in the decision.
“Following the departure of several retailers and declining conditions at Trumbull Mall, the Shops at North County, and Towson Town Center, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our stores at these locations.”
Apple also clarified what this means for employees at these stores. “Our team members at Trumbull and North County will continue their roles at nearby Apple Retail stores. Towson employees will be eligible to apply for open roles at Apple in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement.”
The company said it will continue serving customers through other channels. “We look forward to continuing to serve customers at nearby stores and on Apple.com, the Apple Store app, and at Apple Authorized Resellers and Service Providers throughout the states.”
All three malls have been losing major retailers. For example, brands like Banana Republic, Madewell, and Tommy Bahama recently exited Towson Town Center. Trumbull Mall is also in trouble, with its owner defaulting on a $150 million loan and putting the property up for sale. The Shops at North County has also seen declining business and was sold a few years ago.
The Towson store is especially significant because its workers unionized in 2022 under the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, also known as IAM CORE.
Despite these closures, Apple is not stepping back from physical retail. In fact, the company is expanding. Since early 2025, Apple has opened 11 new stores globally, including in U.S. cities like Miami and Detroit. It has also upgraded several stores in cities such as Dallas, Pittsburgh, Montréal, and Tokyo, and plans to launch its first stores in Saudi Arabia.
Financially, Apple remains strong and recently reported record revenue. So, these closures are more about location performance than the company’s overall health.
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The union has strongly reacted to the Towson shutdown and accused Apple of targeting the store unfairly.
“The IAM Union is outraged by Apple’s decision to close its Towson, Md., store–the first unionized Apple retail location in the United States–and abandon both its workers and a community that relies on it for critical services and its unique access to public transit.”
It also questioned Apple’s explanation and hinted at possible legal action.
“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. We are exploring all legal options and will work with elected officials and allies to hold Apple accountable.”
The union said it will continue to support workers and the local community.
“We stand with our IAM Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (IAM CORE) members and the community that depends on this store for essential access and support.”