InterContinental Hotels Group PLC Pre-Close Update

The pace of hotels reopening has continued to accelerate through the second quarter, with only 10% of the global estate currently still closed. In the Americas region, around 5% are closed; these are predominantly managed luxury and upscale hotels, and those outside of the US. Good progress has been made across the EMEAA region as government-mandated hotel closures have eased; around 30% currently remain closed. In Greater China, just 1% are closed.
Tags: Travel, Americas, US, InterContinental Hotels Group PLC, Greater China

61 Ways To Differentiate Your Brand

Everybody wants a brand that’s different. The irony of that statement is intentional. It belies the conservative manner in which most brands approach competitive difference. They say they want to be distinctive to consumers but often, in their heart of hearts, they actually want to align (read conform) with the rest of the industry. One of the key issues for that is an uncertainty on the part of brand makers and decision makers to find a starting point. In some ways that’s actually less diffi...
Tags: Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Asia, Stanford, Disney, Nike, Intel, Netflix, Lego, Philippines, Switzerland, Marriott, Pizza Hut, Patagonia, Virgin

Lawsuit Accusing Apple of Hiding Weakening iPhone Demand Prior to Early 2019 Revenue Warning Allowed to Proceed

U.S. federal judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers this week ruled that a class action lawsuit accusing Apple of fraudulently concealing weakening demand for iPhones between August 2017 and January 2019 can proceed in part, as reported by . In January 2019, Apple lowered its revenue guidance to $84 billion for the first quarter of its 2019 fiscal year, down from its original forecast of $89 billion to $93 billion. In a letter to shareholders, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that lower than anticipated iPhone...
Tags: Apple, Lawsuit, Cook, Mac, China, Tim Cook, Wall Street Journal, Rhode Island, Rogers, Aapl, Company, Greater China, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, Iphone Xs, iPhone Xr

Apple Stores in Italy Will Begin Reopening on May 19

Apple today indicated that its retail store at the Nave de Vero shopping mall in the Venice area will reopen on Tuesday, May 19, with reduced operating hours of 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time and other health and safety measures in place. Italian website iSpazio today reported that Apple plans to reopen 10 of its 17 stores in Italy on May 19, excluding locations in the Piedmont and Lombardy regions. After closing all of its retail stores outside of the Greater China region in mid-March due to ...
Tags: Apple, United States, Italy, Venice, Apple Store, Piedmont, Lombardy, Greater China, Apple Stores, Nave de Vero, Australia Austria Germany Switzerland South Korea

Apple Stores in Germany to Begin Reopening May 11 With Enhanced Health and Safety Measures

Apple today announced that it will begin reopening its retail stores in Germany on May 11, nearly two months after they were closed due to the global health crisis. In a statement shared with German website Macerkopf, Apple said the stores will initially be focusing on Genius Bar service and support. Enhanced health and safety measures will be implemented, such as body temperature checks prior to entry, limits on how many customers can be in the store at once, social distancing, and reduced h...
Tags: Apple, Australia, Germany, United States, Apple Store, Greater China, Apple Stores, South Korea Austria, Macerkopf Apple

Apple to Reopen 21 Retail Stores in Australia This Week

Apple will reopen 21 of its 22 retail locations in Australia on Thursday, May 7, according to Apple's dedicated websites for each of the stores. All of the stores that are reopening will operate on limited hours for the time being. Apple's sole Australian store that will remain closed is the Apple Sydney store. As noted by 9to5Mac, this store closed in January for major renovations, and it is possible that the global health crisis caused a construction delay. All of Apple's retail stores in ...
Tags: Apple, South Korea, Cook, Australia, Austria, Vienna, Tim Cook, North America, Apple Store, Apple Retail, Retail Stores, Greater China, Apple Sydney

Apple Reopening Vienna, Austria Apple Store on May 5

Apple is set to reopen its only store in Vienna, Austria tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. local time, marking the second store that's reopened outside of Greater China. Apple Kärntner Straße in Vienna will operate on limited hours, and like Apple's other reopened store in South Korea, the focus will likely be on repairs and purchase pickups rather than standard shopping and browsing. All of Apple's stores outside of Greater China have been closed since March 14 due to the ongoing health crisis. Apple ...
Tags: Apple, South Korea, Cook, Australia, Austria, Vienna, United States, Tim Cook, Seoul, Apple Store, Vienna Austria, Greater China, Apple Stores, Gangnam, Deirdre O Brien, Greater China Apple Kärntner Straße

Top Stories: iPhone SE Camera Comparison, iPhone 12 Pricing Rumor, Apple Earnings, iOS 13.5 Beta, and More

It was another big week for Apple news and rumors as we learned more about the new iPhone SE, heard some new rumors about the upcoming iPhone 12 lineup, and saw that Apple's financials have been holding up reasonably well despite the current global crisis. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. This week also saw a new iOS 13.5 (yes, 13.5!) beta release with support for upcoming exposure notification apps, as well as some tweaks to make it easier to unlock an iPhone ...
Tags: Apple, South Korea, Featured, Australia, Intel, Austria, Tim Cook, Facetime, Wall Street Journal, MacRumors YouTube, Greater China, Prosser, Comet Lake, Deirdre O Brien, Jon Prosser, MacRumors Newsletter Each

Apple Plans to Reopen Stores in Austria and Australia in 1 to 2 Weeks

Apple plans to reopen retail stores in Australia in the next one to two weeks, Apple CEO Tim Cook said today in an interview with Bloomberg ahead of today's Q2 2020 earnings call. Apple has a single store in Austria and over 20 retail locations in Australia. Cook said that "just a few" stores will reopen in the United States starting in May. Before reopening stores, Apple will "look at the data" and make decisions "city by city, county by county" when considering whether to reopen stores. Ea...
Tags: Apple, South Korea, Cook, Australia, Bloomberg, Austria, United States, Tim Cook, Cupertino, Apple Store, Santa Clara County, Greater China, Deirdre O Brien, Apple Plans to Reopen Stores

Remy Cointreau warns of halving of first-quarter sales due to coronavirus

French spirits company Remy Cointreau warned first quarter sales would fall by around 50-55% due to wholesaler destocking in Greater China and a sharp slowdown in key European and American markets due to the coronavirus crisis.
Tags: Money, businessNews, Greater China, Rémy Cointreau

Remy Cointreau warns of 50-55% slump in first quarter sales due to coronavirus

French spirits company Remy Cointreau warned it expected sales to fall by around 50-55% in the first quarter of the 2020/21 fiscal year, due to wholesaler destocking in Greater China and a sharp slowdown in key European and American markets due to the coronavirus crisis.
Tags: Money, businessNews, Greater China, Rémy Cointreau

Marriott International In Asia Pacific Supports Frontline Healthcare Workers Through Community Caregiver Program

Marriott International in Asia Pacific (excluding Greater China) has launched its Community Caregiver Program for healthcare workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. The devastating impact of COVID-19 has been felt over the world, and as an organization that puts people first, Marriott International recognizes the need to unite with the community in its fight against coronavirus. The Community Caregiver Program has been launched to provide support to the healthcare workers who ...
Tags: Travel, Asia Pacific, Marriott International, Greater China, COVID, Community Caregiver Program

Apple Expecting to Reopen 'Many More' Stores in May

Deidre O'Brien, Apple's vice president of retail and people, today told Apple employees that "many more" Apple Stores are set to start reopening in May. O'Brien made the comments during a weekly video update shared with staff, according to Bloomberg. "We are continuing to analyze this health situation in every location, and I do expect we will reopen up many more stores in May," O'Brien told staff. Apple did not specify which stores would be reopened, or the regions where the stores would reo...
Tags: Apple, South Korea, Bloomberg, Tennessee, North America, Apple Store, Apple Retail, Bay Area, Brien, Greater China, Texas Georgia, Apple Stores, Deirdre O Brien, Deidre O Brien Apple

Coronavirus live news: Trump says 29 states could reopen 'relatively soon' as global deaths near 145,000

Brazil’s president fires health minister; IMF predicts zero growth in Latin America and Caribbean for decade to 2025; UK extends lockdown by three weeks. Follow the latest updates. Coronavirus latest: at a glanceAustralia coronavirus updates – liveSee all of our coronavirus coverage 1.24am BST Apple Inc said on Thursday it would reopen its sole retail store in South Korea on 18 April, marking it the first site to return to business after it closed all stores outside Greater China last month ...
Tags: South Korea, UK, New York, Science, China, UK News, World news, Australia news, US news, Medical Research, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Infectious Diseases, Microbiology, Brazil, Andrew Cuomo

Warner Music Promotes Andy Ma to CEO for Greater China

Warner Music Group has promoted executive Andy Ma to a new role as CEO for Greater China, the company has announced. Ma has been with Warner Music since 2011, most recently as CEO of Warner Music China and executive vice president of commercial and business development for Greater China. Since stepping into that position in […]
Tags: Asia, News, China, Global, Warner Music, Warner Music Group, Ma, Greater China, Andy Ma, Warner Music China

Apple Begins Selling AirPods Pro Replacement Ear Tips Through Its Online Store

AirPods Pro feature an in-ear design with three sizes of soft, flexible silicone tips included in the box, and if you happen to lose those tips, Apple now sells replacements through its online store. The replacement tips will likely also be stocked at Apple Stores, although all locations outside of Greater China remain closed. Apple offers two sets of small, medium, or large ear tips for $7.99 each in the United States, with pricing varying in other countries. Replacement ear tips were previ...
Tags: Apple, United States, Greater China, Apple Stores, AirPods Pro

Chinese Retailers Slashing iPhone 11 Prices to Entice Reluctant Customers

Multiple third-party resellers in China are offering discounts on the iPhone 11 lineup this week, with savings up to an equivalent of $227 off a high-end iPhone 11 Pro Max, according to the South China Morning Post. On JD.com, the 64GB version of the basic ‌iPhone 11‌ now costs 4,999 yuan (US$708), 500 yuan (US$70) cheaper than the original price. The more expensive iPhone 11 Pro has an even steeper price cut that shaves off 1,200 yuan (US$170). And the top-tier ‌iPhone 11 Pro Max‌ is selling f...
Tags: Apple, China, US, Greater China, iPhone 11, Iphone 11 Pro

Apple is offering store workers $100 toward work-from-home gear and a new stress-management tool as other retailers cut costs and layoff employees (AAPL)

Apple has begun offering a $100 reimbursement to store employees working from home and a new mental health benefit. The benefits signal that Apple is continuing to invest in its retail workforce as its stores remain closed. The offerings also come as other major retail chains are resorting to layoffs and furloughs as nonessential businesses across the US remain closed. Apple Stores outside of China have been temporarily closed until further notice since the middle of March. Visit Business Insi...
Tags: Apple, Elon Musk, China, US, Trends, Bloomberg, Tim Cook, Wall Street Journal, Amtrak, Aapl, Greater China, Apple Stores, Macy s JCPenny the Gap

Apple Stores will reportedly remain closed until early May as the coronavirus continues to spread (AAPL)

Apple expects that it will keep its retail stores closed until at least early May, according to reports from 9to5Mac and Bloomberg. A company executive made the announcement in a memo to staff late Thursday. Apple had initially expected to start re-opening stores on a staggered basis in the first half of April, a previous report said. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Apple expects to keep its retail stores outside of China closed until early May, according to reports from B...
Tags: Apple, China, US, Trends, Bloomberg, United States, Italy, Aapl, Macy, Brien, Nikkei Asian Review, Greater China, O Brien, Apple Stores, Deirdre O Brien Apple

Apple is reportedly worried that people won't have the money to buy new iPhones this year, and it's an ominous sign of what's to come for people's finances (AAPL)

Apple may be considering delaying the iPhone 12's launch because it's concerned that consumer demand for smartphone upgrades may be low following the coronavirus outbreak and economic fallout. That's according to a report from Nikkei Asian Review, which was published last week. Apple's reliance on China means it's likely been bracing for a worst-case scenario far earlier than most, and its moves have largely preempted broader changes and developments. The iPhone 12 is expected to be Apple's bi...
Tags: Apple, Asia, Europe, California, China, US, Samsung, Trends, United States, Italy, Korea, Illinois, Aapl, Reuters, Nikkei Asian Review, Greater China

Top Stories: New iPad Pro, MacBook Air, Powerbeats, and More

With no March media event in the works, Apple this week rolled out a number of product updates including updated iPad Pro models with dual cameras, a LiDAR scanner, and a Magic Keyboard accessory with trackpad. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. On the Mac side, we got an updated MacBook Air and storage-bumped Mac mini models, as well as new Powerbeats earphones, so check out the video above and read on for all of our coverage on those topics and more. New iPad...
Tags: Iphone, Apple, Ios, Ipad, Europe, Microsoft, Mac, Siri, United States, Italy, Rumors, MacBook Air, Magic Keyboard, Intel Core, MacRumors YouTube, Greater China

People Who Left Devices at Apple Stores for Repair Can't Get Them Until Stores Reopen

All of Apple's retail locations outside of Greater China are closed right now, and customers who left their devices for repair are unable to pick them up until the stores reopen, an Apple spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider. Apple closed all of its stores on Saturday, March 14, but stayed open for a few extra days to allow customers to pick up devices ordered for in-store pickup or that were at the store for repair. There were, however, some people who weren't able to make it into stor...
Tags: Apple, Apple Store, Apple Retail, Greater China, Apple Stores, People Who Left Devices

Apple Pledges Substantial Donation With Medical Supplies to Italy's First Responders and Medical Personnel

Apple CEO Tim Cook today announced on Twitter that Apple is making a substantial donation that includes medical supplies to Protezione Civile in Italy, with the funds set to help first responders, medical personnel, and volunteers working to combat the spread of the coronavirus in the country. Apple last week said that it has made multiple donations to the global COVID-19 response to help treat the sick and lessen the economic and community impacts of the pandemic. Apple has so far donated $1...
Tags: Apple, Cook, Italy, Tim Cook, Silicon Valley, Lincoln, Bay Area, Greater China, COVID-19 Coronavirus, Protezione Civile, Vicini, Tim Cook Italy COVID

Apple closes all retail stores, except Greater China, until further notice

Apple Inc said on Tuesday it has closed retail stores across the world until further notice, except in Greater China, as companies try to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Tags: Apple, Money, businessNews, Apple Inc, Greater China

Apple Stores Are Now Closed Indefinitely Because of Coronavirus Pandemic

Apple’s retail outlets worldwide, with the exception of the Greater China region, will be closed “until further notice,” the tech giant said. The company previously said it was closing down almost 500 stores worldwide until March 27 as a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus. Now, Apple indicated, it could be much longer than […]
Tags: Apple, News, Global, Greater China, Apple Stores, Coronavirus

Apple's retail stores are closed until further notice as the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread (AAPL)

Apple's retail stores are currently closed until further notice, according to the company's website. The move comes after Apple previously said it would keep all retail stores outside of Greater China closed until March 27 as part of an effort to keep staff and customers safe during the coronavirus outbreak. This story is developing. Please refresh for the latest.Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Jeff Bezos reportedly just spent $165 million on a Beverly...
Tags: Apple, Trends, Beverly Hills, Jeff Bezos, Aapl, Greater China

Apple Says Retail Stores Now Closed 'Until Further Notice'

Apple retail stores will be closed until further notice, according to a new banner posted on Apple's website (via 9to5Mac). Apple on Friday shut down all of its retail stores outside of greater China for a two week period in an effort to cut down on the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus in the United States and other countries. Following the store closures, Apple published a FAQ on its website answering key questions customers might have about repairs and returns. As of writing, the FAQ sti...
Tags: Apple, Featured, China, United States, Apple Retail, Greater China, Apple Says Retail Stores

FAANG stocks diverge in performance as coronavirus reaches critical period

It’s looking to be another wild week on Wall Street, with index futures showing hefty drops in the 5% range following the Fed’s announcement over the weekend of an interest rate cut and an expansion of quantitative easing. Around the world, markets in Europe were down heavily as traders surveyed the full scale of the pandemic — the EuroNext 100 is down nearly 9% for the day, while the London-based FTSE 100 is down about 7%. Meanwhile, resiliency remains in Asian markets, as Korea’s KOSPI, Japan’...
Tags: Apple, Google, Amazon, Facebook, Asia, Hong Kong, Europe, Japan, London, Finance, Wall Street, China, New York City, US, Tech, Taiwan

Responding to Coronavirus, Apple Closes All Apple Stores Outside China

Willy English writes: Apple will be temporarily closing its stores outside Greater China until March 27 but its online stores will still be open. In a tweet, CEO Tim Cook said that "we must do all we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19...." He added that the iPhone-maker will also be committing $15 million to help with the recovery. [Apple is also matching employee donations two-to-one to support COVID-19 response efforts locally, nationally and internationally.] All of Apple's stores in C...
Tags: Apple, China, Tech, Tim Cook, Cnbc, Greater China

Coronavirus Causes Nike, Urban Outfitters And Other Retailers To Shutter Stores Temporarily

(CNN) — A growing number of retailers have announced they are temporarily closing stores in an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Nike, Urban Outfitters, Abercrombie & Fitch and more have announced that they are shuttering many or all of their retail stores around the globe through late March because of coronavirus. They followed makeup brand Glossier and outdoor brand Patagonia, which on Thursday and Friday were among the first consumer goods retailers to announce temporary store clos...
Tags: Apple, Europe, China, Africa, Nike, Walmart, Canada, United States, Middle East, Arizona, New Zealand, Retail, Patagonia, North America, Donald Trump, Anthropologie