AppleA senior company executive said the company would strengthen its global retail business, although stores in the city centre were grappling with an accelerated shift to online sales during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Apple currently operates about 500 retail stores around the world, 100 of which are in Europe. Deirdre O'Brien (Deirdre O'Brien), senior vice president of retail and manpower at the company, says retail stores provide people with opportunities to experience new technologies, ask questions and attend Apple product seminars

"people can learn a lot about products on our website," she said. In the store, people can touch them and feel them. We are going to open more stores. "

The COVID-19 epidemic has added to the pressure on many retailers who are already struggling to manage expensive downtown stores and are moving online. Many big retailers are cutting back on the number of stores.

Apple announced this year that it would invest about 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) to set up a computer chip design center in Munich. O'Brien said there was "no doubt" that the company would supplement this.