The Regent Street (London) store instantly became the chain’s busiest when it opened in November, 2004, requiring an expansion to 28,000 square-feet in Spring, 2006 to accommodate the crowds of visitors. Now insiders say the store is once again being modified to handle the crush, but in more subtle ways. First, the downstairs display tables are being replaced overnight with smaller versions, allowing six tables in the space of four, creating more access to produccts. Next, upstairs wall counters with shelving that formerly displayed speakers have been replaced with no-shelf versions that display computers and Cinema Displays. This change adds three more Mac Pro computers to the store’s display, for a total of five, and acknowledges more interest in desktops solutions . Thirdly, the popularity of ProCare and One to One training at the store will be alleviated somewhat with new furniture for the Creative and Studio bars that will allow more seating. Lastly, Apple hopes to smooth the flow of visitors with the addition of a Concierge table in front of the upstairs glass elevator, where staffers will assist with Genius Bar reservations and directions.
The grand opening of the Fair Oak (Virg.) retail store is scheduled for this Saturday, April 26th at 10 a.m. As is now customary, there will be 1,000 commemorative T-shirts given away, but no prize giveaways. It will be the sixth store in Virginia, and the 11th store in the metro District of Columbia area.
The rumored location of a suburban Sydney (Australia) retail store has been pinpointed–the Chatswood Chase mall, a four-level development with 144 stores, about seven miles north of the big city. Flickr poster Adam spotted the black-painted construction barricade and has posted these photos. Previously, it was believed Apple would locate in the nearby and larger Westfield Chatswood mall.
A rare promotion of Apple’s retail stores arrived in the e-mail in-boxes of registered Mac users, touting the $99 per-year One to One training service as, “The fastest way to learn more about your Mac.” The e-mail also advertises the free group training sessions at the stores. Check the e-mail after the break. Here’s the e-mail that registered Mac users received promoting Apple’s retail store training.
Real estate and other insiders have confirmed previous reports that Apple will open two additional street-level stores in New York City. The company will open its first store in Brooklyn, in the Williamsburg section of the borough. The exact location of the store–the first outside Manhattan–isn’t known, but the New York Post has speculated on Albee Square, One Hanson Place or the Municipal Building at 345 Adams Street. Apple’s second new store will indeed be at 23 Wall Street, as first reported earlier this week by Hacked/NY. The historic building has a massive 80-foot tall façade (right) that will be the most impressive in the chain, besides being within a global financial center. Both sites would require extensive construction, and will likely open in 2009.
The Third Street Promenade (S. Calif.) store has consistently been among the Top 10 stores for the number of visitors, revenue and computers sold, helped by its central location among LA’s elite. But it’s always been constrained by its relatively small 7,250 square-foot, single-story building. Now Apple has plans to elevate the store to full high-profile status with a year-long reconstruction that will add a basement for inventory and repairs, a second floor for training and the Genius Bar, and a glass staircase just for show. Incredibly, tipsters say the store will close completely while the work is being done, indicating the company’s level of commitment to–and investment in–this location. By the way, a construction barricade to the north of the Apple store is for another business.
While Congress and the President generate news, everything over on Wisconsin Street in the Georgetown part of the District of Columbia has been quiet–but not for long. Tipsters pointed out possible Apples store locations in Georgetown last September. Now Apple has closed the $13.7 million deal to purchase the property at 1229 Wisconsin St. NW, and the current tenant French Connection is scheduled to vacate the building by the end of May. District records indicate that a building permit hasn’t been approved for the address. But it’s clear that later this year work will begin to gut or demolish the building, and then to construct a store on the 7,400 square-foot lot.
The Racked NY Web reports that Apple will move deep into the center of New York City’s financial district, somewhere inside the conjoined addresses of 23 Wall Street/15 Broad Street, within steps of the New York Stock Exchange and other top-tier money sites. The heritage buildings date to 1914 and have a rich history beginning with JP Morgan, then a 1920 street bombing that killed 33 persons, and a more recent conversion to condominiums and retail space. The 84-foot tall façade of 23 Wall Street occupies an impressive, wedge-shaped space at the corner, and would be the most impressive Apple store location if the deal is done. The Racked NY tipster did not say when the store might open. The owners of the two-building complex are reportedly asking $300 per square-foot (per year) for ground floor retail space at 15 Broad St., although that figure would no doubt be higher for 23 Wall St. JP Morgan occupied the two buildings for over 90 years, and then sold the property to an investment group in 2003 for $100 million. The investors announced they would spend $210 million to transform the 1 million square feet into luxury residential condos and retail space. Overall, the “floor plate” of the buildings totals 32,000 square feet. The façade at 23 Wall St. still has pock marks from the 1920 terrorist bombing, damage that JP Morgan has declined to repair and heritage laws prohibit. The marks would certainly become an aspect of any Apple store that moves into the space. Download (pdf) a copy of the city Landmarks Preservation Commission designation of the property here, a leasing brochure here, and a photo of 23 Wall St. In this photo, 23 Wall St. is the short corner building, with 15 Broad St. looming in the background.
The interior of the future George Street (Sydney, Australia) retail store is not close to being finished, according to a photo snapped on Monday, indicating that a grand opening is several months away. An interior photo shows metal studs have been installed, and some above-the-ceiling work is being performed. Over the past week the scaffolding has been taken down in front of the two-story glass storefront, leaving only a black structure visible at the front. Pasted onto the structure are city permit documents that give contractors special permission to work extended hours: up to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 9 a.m to 6 p.m. on Sundays. However, the permit expires on May 20, 2008. It’s routine for Apple to work nights and weekends in the final phases of store construction to insure the store opens on schedule. Based on these latest photos, the store opening could be three months away. Workers toil under lights on the interior of the future George Street (Sydney) retail store. It appears that only the overhead, above-the-ceiling work has been performed, and that the walls, ceilings and other furnishings are incomplete. This permit gives Apple’s construction team special permission to work longer hours.
Apple seems to be taking a very conservative approach to retail in South America, preferring to bulk up reseller support rather than open its own stores. There have been no rumors or tips about stores south of the U.S. border except for Mexico City. Instead, Apple is providing support for resellers in places as distant as Quito (Equador) and now Bogota (Columbia). A glass-front store has appeared along an up-scale part of the city with black plastic covering the interior. Printed in unmistakable Apple-font letters is the exclamation, “It’s about time!” See the photos after the break. (created with the new gallery features of WordPress. Click on a thumbnail for a larger version.)
Construction continues at the site of the future Munich (Germany) retail store, and it appears that the full height of the building has been reached. A photo by Guido of the store at #1 Rosenstrasse in city center shows scaffolding at the front of the building, and the top of the structure nearly level with the buildings on either side. The Apple store will occupy an unknown number of lower floors in the building, and could open by year’s end. Check the photo after the break. The future Munich store building has nearly reached its total height, but there’s much more work to be done.
The glass demi-cube in front of the future George Street (Sydney) retail store has just been covered up with black material, making it appear exactly like the Fifth Avenue (NYC) glass structure before it opened. There is still a plywood-covered sidewalk structure, but it appears that workers are removing the scaffolding from in front of the glass. The interior of the store is completely covered, so it’s impossible to see what progress has been made. Tipsters still say the store will open this month. Check the latest photo.
Installation of the impressive three-story glass façade of the future Boylston Street (Boston) store is nearly finished, and a close examination of photos from the site offer just a hint of its final beauty. The storefront is enclosed with a scaffolding, covered with a plastic material that makes direct viewing impossible. But slight bulges in the material allowed the green-blue hue of glass to shine out. Thanks to Mark for the photos of the storefront. You can see the blue-green of the glass storefront in the upper-left corner of this view. The front will mimic the Fifth Avenue glass cube in appearance and design, allowing a totally transparent view of all levels of the store. Here’s another glimpse of the glass–a small view. The glass is even harder to see here.
The music group Counting Crows appeared at the San Francisco store on Sunday, and faced a packed crowd. Watch a short TV report on the appearance here.
Apple’s next adventure in UK retail will place a store in the southwestern part of the island, in the city center of Bristol, a city of 410,000 along the Avon River. The location fills in a huge no-store area between Birmingham, Exeter and Southampton, and would be the 18th store in the country. Although the city center has a collection of shops and stores called Broadmead, insiders say Apple will locate the store at an unknown location along the street near that development. The store could open by this November.