A Maryland delegation sent a letter this week to Apple CEO Tim Cook and VP John Ternus, voicing serious concern over the plan to shut the Towson Town Center store on June 20. The outlet, the first U.S. Apple store to unionize in 2022, employs roughly 90 employees and sits in a mall that recent reports say is in decline, raising questions about Apple’s retail strategy.

Lawmakers, all Democrats, said the location had been “strong‑performing” and urged Apple to consider relocation or a nearby replacement to preserve jobs and support Baltimore‑area small businesses. They noted the closure would affect staff and roughly 90 local retailers that depend on Apple’s foot traffic, adding that the mall has already lost anchors like Tommy Bahama and Banana Republic.

Apple responded that it is complying with the 2024 collective bargaining agreement, which requires transfers only if a new store opens within 50 miles, otherwise severance applies. The company plans to present its case to the NLRB after the IAM union filed an unfair‑labor‑practice charge, leaving the fate of the Towson workforce in legal limbo in Maryland.