iPhone-maker Apple led smartphone shipments in the first quarter, growing 5% year-on-year, even as overall global shipments remained under pressure due to a shortage of memory components and weak consumer sentiment, Counterpoint Research said on Friday.
Apple said on Thursday that it will shut down its retail store in Towson, Maryland, the first of its US locations where retail employees successfully unionized in 2022.
It described the decision as "difficult", citing the departure of several retailers and worsening conditions at the Towson Town Center mall as key reasons for the closure.
Apple said Towson employees will be eligible to apply for open roles at the company.
In 2022, more than 100 Apple workers in Towson voted to join the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAM) union, marking a milestone for unionization at major US corporations such as Amazon.com and Starbucks.
Around the same time, a similar union drive in Atlanta was withdrawn, with Apple workers alleging intimidation.
