Apple stores in Australia

Apple is finalizing plans to build its first official retail outlets in Australia, with at least one set for Sydney, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. In addition, Apple may be planning to open a shopfront in Melbourne; however, the company would confirm or deny the plans. "We have submitted concepts for the store we'd like to build in Sydney and are working with the city to gain their approval," Apple spokesman John Marx told the publication. This week the company also announced plans to open its newest UK-based store in WestQuay of Southampton at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 10th and another US store in Honolulu, Hawaii and yet another report indicates the company has plans to open a new retail store at the Fashion Fair mall in Fresno, California based on advertisements for positions at the company's website other job sites.

Meanwhile, the location of the Sydney store was not known, but a report in a Melbourne newspaper yesterday said Apple had leased space in a "multi-level retail center being developed at a former Westpac site on the corner of George and King streets," the Herald reported.

"Our stores are a huge hit in the US, Canada, UK and Japan, and we look forward to bringing the unique Apple retail experience to customers in Australia."

Currently, Apple has opened more than 170 retail stores worldwide, most of which are located in the US: there are seven stores in Britain, four in Canada and seven in Japan.

by MacNN Staff