Amid growing fears of the spread of the novel coronavirus, officials of Samsung Electronics Co. reportedly announced that their flagship store in China will be temporarily shut down. “We decided to temporarily close the store for safety. The operation of the store will depend on the situation in China,” the company reportedly said.
The store, located in Shanghai, is said to be shut until Sunday. The 800-square-metre store, the largest Samsung store in China, opened last October and sells many of the brand’s products including smartphones and tablets.
Apple Inc. announced on Sunday it will close all retail stores and corporate offices in mainland China amid the rapid spread of the novel virus.
Industry observers estimate that the outbreak of coronavirus in China could hamper the global smartphone supply and demand. According to market researcher Strategy Analytics, global shipments of smartphones maybe 2 per cent less than expected this year because of the coronavirus outbreak in China.
The world’s no. 2 economy makes 70 per cent of all smartphones sold on the planet.
*Edited from an IANS report.