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Apple is slowing down the speed it opens model new Apple Retailer areas, with it opening a fraction of shops per yr since 2017 in comparison with its pre-2016 openings.
The opening of a brand new Apple Retailer is all the time main information, with Apple often relocating and refurbishing its storefronts in addition to opening new areas. Nonetheless, it appears that evidently Apple’s storefront work has targeted much less on growth and extra on managing its current areas.
Based on Facades developer Michael Steeber in a weblog publish, the brand new retailer depend for 2023 is “shaping as much as be a stable yr,” with 5 new shops launched within the first eight months in comparison with a mere six within the entirety of 2022, and eight in 2021.
One graph for brand new retailer openings exhibits a substantial discount from the 40 retailer openings per yr in 2012 and Apple’s basic opening of 20 shops a yr till 2016. For 2017 and past, the figures are successfully halved.
![Apple's rate of new store openings per year [Michael Steeber]](https://photos5.appleinsider.com/gallery/56041-113758-7b52110e-0ac8-47cd-9a6f-e0224e470170_1434x765-xl.jpg)
Apple’s charge of recent retailer openings per yr [Michael Steeber]
A second chart by Steeber contains situations the place shops are relocated or rebuilt every year, on high of recent retailer openings. This second graph appears to point out Apple focusing extra on the rebuilds and relocations afterward, particularly from 2016 onwards.
Into 2020 and onward, the shop exercise has seemingly diminished additional, with fewer than 14 new retailer openings, relocations, or openings after a rebuild per yr. Against this, 2019 had about 30 openings, whereas 2012 hit 63.
“These numbers alone nonetheless kind a distorted image of Apple’s replace tempo,” writes Steeber. “As some markets attain retailer saturation, growth provides approach to maintenance. There are extra Apple Shops to keep up immediately than at any level in historical past, and roughly half are at the least a decade outdated.”
It’s noticed that “not solely has Apple just about stopped changing all however the smallest and oldest Basic Shops, it is began considerably reinvesting in them.” These reinvestments vary from backstage enhancements to bogs and inventory rooms to extra seen adjustments, like new flooring and mechanical upgrades.