Apple closed its first China store in 17 years — because the mall emptied out

Apple opened the Dalian Bainian City store on October 24, 2015 — the city's first official Apple Store, Liaoning's second. The company had run retail stores in mainland China since 2008 and had never closed one. On July 28, 2025, that changed: Apple's China website announced the store would stop trading at 8 p.m. on August 9.

Apple's own statement pointed outward: 'Given that many retailers have left the Dalian Bainian City shopping center, we have decided to close our store there on August 9.' Locals told media the mall had been struggling for some time, with fashion names including Michael Kors and Armani already gone. Apple kept its second Dalian store at Hang Lung Plaza, said store staff would have opportunities to continue with the company, and added that it planned to open more stores in China over the following year.

The reading across the industry was blunt: this was not a statement about demand for Apple products but about a venue in decline. When the anchor tenant follows the other tenants out, the mall's problem becomes visible from the street.