ifoAppleStore, a reliable source of information when it comes to detailing Apple’s projects in the retail space, has apparently uncovered the plan behind the first Apple Stores that will open in Hong Kong by the end of 2011 and the second quarter of 2012. In fact, the lack of Apple stores in Hong Kong is surprising after 10 years of Apple retail – but the company is planning two grand openings in significant locations in Hong Kong Island, the financial center of the city.
Both stores will open inside malls on the lower floors “of high-rise office buildings” – a move that should grant Apple visibility and the obvious accessibility of lower entrances. The Apple retail team has scouted several locations, and reportedly decided to pick the International Finance Center (IFC) for the first store, and the upcoming Hysan Place for the second one. The IFC includes office buildings, a cinema, a mall, and a five-star hotel. Apple will open the new Store in Tower 2, in a section of the mall of approximately 6,300 square-feet. As for the design:
Even though the IFC Apple store will be inside, it will not suffer from lack of visibility or visitors. The inside view will be panoramic, with a transparent view to the inside. Outside the mall, Apple might erect a back-lit Apple logo to promote its brand, and might even clear the now-obscured windows to provide even more visibility of the store’s interior.
The second store at the Hysan Place might be launching – according to sources – alongside the Hysan Place itself (which is currently under construction) in 2012, but it’s still unclear whether Apple is planning on opening the store in the lower floors, or higher than the IFC. You can check out a gallery of photos over at ifoAppleStore.
