Samsung Is Closing All US Stores Due To COVID-19

We often hear about tech stores being closed in countries like China and Italy because of the widespread cases of confirmed COVID-19 infections there. It was really only a matter of time before such scenarios reach the US and it finally has happened. Samsung has announced the immediate and temporary shutdown of all its stores in the US, a much-needed move but at a very inopportune time for the company.

Given how people are moving indoors, one would expect that the number of sales of computing and mobile devices to rise in the coming days and weeks. Work From Home arrangements only work if you have the right work equipment and quarantines are easier to bear when you also have entertainment devices to while away the time.

Given consumer buying habits, however, purchasing these products would often mean walking into stores even just to test various options out. The close contact could inevitably lead to the risk of COVID-19 infection and Samsung can't risk both the health of its employees and customers as well as the PR mess it would result in.

That's not to say people won't have any recourse now as Samsung is still accepting orders on its online stores which it promises to fulfill as quickly as it can. All customer support will have to happen online or through phone though, which means lines will most likely be busier than ever.

This doesn't bode well for the Galaxy S20 series, which was already seeing low sales in South Korea due to the COVID-19 outbreak. When weighing between expenses for supplies and the Galaxy S20's high price tags, people will presumably opt for the more immediately critical investment at this period in time.