It has been reported now that the alternative Apple Store Simply Mac will be filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and will shutter all store operations immediately.Â
The company reported that the reason for its bankruptcy filing is due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All employees in the company have reportedly been terminated due to said bankruptcy.Â
Rein Voigt, the CEO of Simply Mac, stated in a memo to employees (acquired by MacRumors) that while the company has had its flourishing times, that the pandemic has taken a toll on it.Â
“Since our acquisition of Simply Mac from GameStop on September 25, 2019, we have worked hard as a team to grow our company to be North America’s preeminent Apple Partner and provide our customers with transformational experiences that drive long-term loyalty,” he said. “However, we could not have possibly foreseen that on December 12, 2019 in Wuhan, China a world-wide pandemic would start and ultimately cause us to layoff half our workforce and close many of our stores.”
It has also been said by Voigt that the stores have “never met our expectations” in terms of their financials.Â
Additionally, Voigt stated that the company will not be able to pay employees on Friday or in the near and distant future. Employees will be receiving a notice from bankruptcy court and get to submit a claim, according to MacRumors.Â
As of this past January, Simply Mac had 53 stores in operation in the U.S. The stores also served as a place for customers to go to in cities that did not have a local Apple Store nearby, and an alternative from Best Buy as well.Â
What are your thoughts on the end of Simply Mac? Comment below or let us know on Twitter at @appleosophy.Â
