Siri says that the nearest Apple Store to me is 265 miles (a 4h 38m drive) from me.

It seems a bit of a stretch to ask everyone around me to drive go there every time they get a new phone.

> everyone around me [...] every time they get a new phone

Reality: people who feel that they need help, and for most features it's a one-time trip with settings passed from phone to phone as you upgrade.

I'm guessing most people get their phones from their phone provider or online.

And of course there are still countries where there is no Apple store, but you see quite a few iPhones.

Only a small fraction of iPhone users have ever been to an Apple Store, never mind bought their phone from one.