Apple to open second Sydney store

The grand opening for Apple's second retail store in Australia is set for Saturday morning in Sydney, according to an announcement. A celebration is planned, with free t-shirts for the first 1,000 people through the door. The Chatswood Chase opening comes less than a month after that of Australia's flagship store, which is found elsewhere in Sydney on George Street. A third store is currently under construction in Melbourne.

The Chatsworth location will be a full-service Apple Store, with workshops, a Genius Bar, business services and youth programs.

The debut is another sign that despite the global economic downturn, Apple's brick-and-mortar retail arm is going strong. During last month's third-quarter earnings call, executives said that Mac sales at Apple Stores jumped 33 percent from the year-ago quarter. The company expects to have 242 stores operating by the end of 2008, up from 216 in June.

Filed under: Apple
Other story tags: retail, Australia, Sydney