Simply Mac to close and file for bankruptcy, blames pandemic
“However, we could not have possibly foreseen that on December 12, 2019 in Wuhan, China a world-wide pandemic would start and ultimately cause us to layoff half our workforce and close many of our stores.”
What you need to know
Simply Mac is winding up in the U.S..
The Apple Premium Partner says it will shut down its operations and terminate all of its staff with immediate effect.
The company plans to file for bankruptcy, citing the pandemic and poor financial performance.
The premium Apple reseller Simply Mac has reportedly told its employees that it plans to cease operations immediately and terminate all of its employees, as the company prepares to file for bankruptcy.
MacRumors’ Joe Rossignol reports:
In a letter to employees today, obtained by MacRumors from multiple sources, Simply Mac CEO Rein Voigt said the company is shutting down its operations and terminating all employees effective immediately in anticipation of filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in the United States, which will result in complete liquidation of the company.
Simply Mac was acquired from GameStop in 2019, and Voigt told employees the company had “worked hard as a team to grow our company to be North America’s preeminent Apple Partner and provide our customers with transformational experiences that drive long-term loyalty,” however said it could never have foreseen the pandemic that forced it to layoff half its workforce and close many stores.
Voigt reportedly went on to say the financial performance of Simply Mac had “never met our expectations” and that it had no funding to stock its stores with inventory or fulfill financial obligations.
Unfortunately for staff, that includes paying its employees, who have been told to expect notices from bankruptcy court where they will have to submit a claim for outstanding pay.
As the report notes the company had 53 stores nationwide as of January 2022, often in locations without an Apple store. It means customers reliant on these brick and mortar may have to travel further afield for technical support and the chance to buy devices like Apple’s best iPhone, the iPhone 13. Not to mention the impact this will have on its displaced employees in the immediate and longer-term.
