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Posts tagged with "apple store"

Bellevue Apple Store’s Relocation Pokes Fun At Microsoft Store

The retail shopping store war between Microsoft and Apple at Bellevue Square in Washington is heating up again with Apple’s plans to relocate its store. You may recall that the Bellevue Microsoft Store was built just a few doors down from the Apple Store that had existed for some time prior. Well now, Apple will be moving its store to a larger retail space on the second floor, but what is really interesting is where on the second floor it will be.

Yep, that’s right – directly opposite and above the Microsoft store. Just to make sure that those leaving the Microsoft retail store will be able to see the huge Apple store above them. I suspect that although increasing the store space from 4,600 square feet is the main goal of this move, Apple couldn’t resist taking a nice jab at Microsoft after they opened up shop so close to their original store. What better way to do that than let Apple customers look down upon Microsoft customers on the floor below and vice versa!

Apple’s move should be completed by the end of the year, probably by holiday shopping season.

[Via TUAW]

University of Delaware Says “Apple Store” Coming On Campus

According to a new report by ifoAppleStore, the University of Delaware has confirmed that, as part of new campus construction plans, an Apple Store will be located next to the new Bookstore, Starbucks, and other facilities. The website says the university’s Board of Trustees announced an Apple Store will open inside the new bookstore opening this fall, although it’s not clear whether the “store” will be a full-feature retail location, a “mini store”, an authorized reseller, or something else specifically tailored to students. Indeed, several rumors in the past years suggested Apple was planning campus-specific Apple Stores, but the plans were never finalized.

ifoAppleStore also mentions the University of Delaware extended a contract with Barnes & Noble for 15 years, allowing them to demolish multiple buildings in the campus:

The project will include a new 60,000 square-foot bookstore, a Starbucks and other concessions. At its meeting yesterday, the university’s board said the new B&N bookstore will open August 30th, but didn’t say if the Apple store would open at the same time.

Apple already has a full-size retail store about six miles away from the University of Delaware, and that’s a very trafficked Apple Store considering Delaware has no sales tax. Smaller retail stores on campus would certainly make sense for Apple to showcase products like iPads and MacBook Airs and promote them among students, though we can’t help but think those would also be the perfect way to launch and organize discount programs without forcing students to use the online store, or driving to another Apple Store.

First Hong Kong Apple Store To Open By The End of 2011

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.

Apple Planning To Open First Apple Store In Russia

According to a report by ifoAppleStore yesterday, Apple is finalising plans and decisions to lease and open up its first Apple Retail Store in Russia. Top executives of the Apple retail division including senior vice president of Retail Ron Johnson and vice president of Real Estate Bob Bridger were seen touring the reconstructed Hotel Moskva where Apple is looking to lease a two-level, 16,000 square-foot space for an Apple Store.

Hotel Moskva is currently in the final stages of a reconstruction; the historic building is close by to the Red Square, the Kremlin and other historical monuments and sites in central Moscow that are popular among tourists. Whilst no lease has yet been signed, a decision could be made soon according to sources of ifoAppleStore. The hotel with its beautiful stone façade will also be home to the first Four Season’s hotel in Russia and numerous other retail stores in an extensive and modern shopping mall.

Eastern Europe is currently devoid of any Apple Stores and the opening of its first store in Russia could signal a significant commitment to expanding growth in the eastern Europe region, similar to that of its plans for Asia. Currently the most eastern store in Europe is the recently opened Altmarkt-Galerie in Dresden, Germany. But beyond that there are “no Apple stores in any of the 15 republics of the former Soviet Union (USSR), which dissolved in 1991”.

[Via ifoAppleStore]

 

Universal Version of World of Goo Coming Soon

World of Goo had such a huge success for the iPad that an iPhone version is on it’s way. A universal version is waiting approval that will give iPhone users some of their own Gooey action! 2D Boy has submitted an iPhone version of World of Goo to Apple for approval, so it could be available any day. The regular price will be $2.99 (iPad version is $4.99), but it will be only $.99 cents for the first twenty-four hours of the iPhone version’s release.

If you already have that iPad version, you already have the iPhone version. 2D Boy is making the iPad app universal, so it’ll be freely playable on iPhone. World of Goo will not support the iPhone 3G, only iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4. Now get Gooing!

[via 2D Boy]

 

Apple Store Grand Opening This Week in Dresden, Germany

[Above: the Altmarkt-Galerie in Dresden, Germany]

Apple’s retail expansion continues at a steady pace as a new grand opening is planned later this week in Dresden, Germany. Confirmed by Apple today, the new store will be located at the Altmarkt-Galerie and will follow an extended opening schedule throughout the week:

  • Thursday: 8 AM to 10 PM
  • Friday: 9:30 AM to 10 PM
  • Saturday: 9:30 AM to 12 AM

As the iPad 2 is reportedly sold out in several European countries, the new Dresden store might be a good opportunity for German Apple fans to find units available. Apple is working on dozens of grand openings for 2011: at least two new stores are planned for Italy; a new one in Anchorage (Alaska) and openings in Paris and Palo Alto are planned as well.

Apple Australia Lets You Reserve An iPad 2 For Pickup

If you’re on the hunt for an iPad 2 and live in Australia you might just have a good chance of snapping one up from an Apple Store by reserving one online. That’s right, Apple Australia is letting customers reserve iPad 2’s for pick-up at an Apple Store and the next day no less!

There is however a (large) caveat in that you can only reserve an iPad 2 if that particular store has them in stock – and after going live only 3 hours ago I’ve looked through most of the Australian Apple Stores and none have stock of any of the 12 models.  Apple Stores do however receive stock fairly frequently, at least a few times a week so keep checking if you’ve missed out in this first batch of reservable iPad 2’s.

If you live close enough to an Australian Apple retail store and want to reserve an iPad 2 for pickup, jump over to the Apple retail site. At this stage it seems that Apple isn’t offering to do reserve iPad 2’s in any other country but one would suspect they may transition this system internationally and hopefully soon as it sure beats going to an Apple store everyday to ask if they have the model you want in stock.

[Via MacTalk]

 

iPad 2 Lines Around The World [Pics]

(iPad 2 line in Sydney via BeauGiles)

The iPad 2 is coming out tomorrow in 25 countries. As announced by Apple earlier this week, the device will be available in the following countries at 5 PM local time: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. The launch was delayed in Japan as Apple is focusing on recovering from the earthquake and tsunami that hit the country two weeks ago, and helping out employees and their families.

In the 25 countries scheduled for launch tomorrow, the iPad 2 will be available in Apple retail stores and authorized resellers. With the Apple Stores opening at 5 PM (same as the US launch on March 11), it’s no surprise that some people have decided to spend the whole day in line waiting for the doors to open – but some Apple fans have really broken any record this time. Take the Sydney Apple as an example: as reported by Fortune, Alex Lee and Marius Eilertsen started waiting in front of the store on Wednesday, 53 hours before the iPad 2 launch. Crazy. They are, of course, no. 1 and 2 in line, but they had to bring chairs and blankets (and water, I guess) for their adventure. The line has grown bigger, and it’s not extending down George Street with dozens of customers waiting. Read more

Apple Store In Grand Central Not Happening After All?

Back in February, several rumors surfaced indicating Apple was planning on opening a major new retail store in Grand Central Terminal, New York in September. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Apple Retail, reports suggested the Store in Grand Central was set to become the largest Apple Store ever built, likely meant to host thousands of customers every day because of the heavy traffic in Grand Central. Furthermore, to drive traffic away from the popular retail location in 5th Avenue, the rumored new Apple Store in Manhattan would accomplish the double functionality of better managing customers across retail stores, and being an impressive construction in Grand Central. This, on top of the Retail anniversary, lead many people to believe that September would indeed see the launch of an Apple Store, Grand Central. Read more