14 DAY TRIAL // Apple is temporarily closing a number of retail stores to beef up on security, according to several sources.
Apple has had quite a bit of trouble with some retail stores getting vandalized and robbed, mainly because it was easy for burglars to smash through the glass entrance and walk away with Macs, iPhones, and iPads worth tens of thousands of dollars.
Most of the thieves eventually get caught, but the merchandise is not always recovered, and the bottom line usually stings worse than the expenses Apple would incur in beefing up on security.
Which is what the company is reportedly doing right now at several locations across the United States, including Los Gatos (CA), Coconut Point (FL), Leawood (KS), Friendly Center (NC), Manhasset (NY), and Bridgeport Village (OR).
The stores are closed for 7 to 10 days, MacRumors reports. Last week, Apple commissioned the same upgrades for stores in Bethesda Row (MD), Village Pointe (NE), and Crocker Park (OH), and others.
Last year, IFOAppleStore released some information on the subtle grate system that Apple was using to secure its stores.
In an August 29 report last year, the source dealing exclusively with news and information about Apple’s retail stores reported that “Apple is continuing to secure its storefronts from night-time burglars by installing security gratings, using a design that is barely visible and doesn’t detract from the stores’ carefully-crafted design.”
“The steel grating at that store is constructed of narrow horizontal rods and thin vertical strips that have a minimal cross-section. When the grating is raised, it’s stored entirely within the ceiling behind a thin access slot. When the grating is lowered, it slides down through narrow slots in the side wall.”
According to IFO, roughly 140 stores have outdoor exposure, whether it’s at a mall or along a public street.
