Apple CEO Tim Cook says China demand largely recovered, retail hit record high in Q2
The Apple executive said that the company was "doing great" in China early in January before COVID-19 lockdowns occurred toward the latter half of the month. Demand slumped in February, during lockdown procedures and a shuttering of Apple retail locations across the country, Cook added.
As the lockdown eased toward the second half of February, Apple began reopening its stores in China on a staggered basis. From there, Cook said that Apple saw demand improve in March, and even more in April.
While foot traffic to Apple retail locations is back to where it was in February, Cook added that it hasn't returned to pre-pandemic levels. More customers are moving to online retail in the country and around the world, a natural result of quarantines and pandemic fears. However, Cook expects traffic at brick-and-mortar stores to eventually return to normal.