05/03, 12:00am
Expanded, multi-floor layout gives Mac maker showcase space
[Updated with video of grand opening] Europe's latest "showcase" Apple Store, the Kurfürstendamm outlet in Berlin that is set to open on Friday at 5pm local time, looks to take its place as one of the most beautiful on the continent -- comparing favorably to premiere stores in Paris and London among others. The large facility, with some 48,000 square feet, has room for luxuries like an expanded theater space and classically-appointed conference room, while still retaining a sleek and modern main sales floor at the ground level following extensive renovations to the century-old building.
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04/23, 7:30pm
Other alerts such as shipping, changes in order now available
Apple on Tuesday updated its Apple Store app for iOS, adding an ability to send notifications to users when they are eligible for upgrade pricing on a new iPhone through their carrier. The new version (2.6, free) also adds notification support for changes in orders, such as shipping or delivery notices. Previously, the program was able to track a user's order but only when the app was actually in use. Users can now opt for push notifications, as well as schedule Genius, One to One or Specialist appointments, order products for pickup or use EasyPay to buy accessories.
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12/13, 7:22pm
Apple offers free 2-3 day shipping to beat the holiday rush
The online Apple store has posted a banner at the top of the page informing customers that they can "get it in time for the holidays with free 2-3 day shipping on everything in the store." The promotion is an annual benefit Apple provides to last minute online shoppers, and has been offered for the last six years.
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11/29, 11:37pm
Coming to retail stores tomorrow, GSM only
Following our earlier report, the online US Apple Store now has gone live with unlocked GSM-only versions of the iPhone 5 in time for the holiday buying season. The unlocked version starts at $649 for the 16GB model, mirroring pricing in other countries (such as Canada) where the unlocked version has been available right from the latest iPhone's debut. As has been traditional in the US, the company delayed the introduction of an unlocked model to allow carriers an advantage.
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11/09, 10:35pm
Points-of-sale expansion cuts into store sales increases
Analyst Charlie Wolf from Needham & Company has told his clients in a new report that Apple Store revenues have not kept pace with the growth in Apple's overall business, but that this is because the company is continuing to expand its range of points-of-sale rather than any flaw in the management of the stores. With ever more places to buy Apple products, the need to specifically visit an Apple Store for purchases has been diminished. Nonetheless, the retail stores continue to show strong growth even in a dour economy.
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10/19, 10:15pm
Residents, tourists brave cold weather, overnight stays
The Wangfujing Apple Store in Beijing opened on Saturday to large crowds that began gathering the night before, enduring cold weather to be among the first to get into the city's latest, largest and third Apple retail store. The new building includes three storeys (including a basement), Asia's first all-glass staircase and is the largest Apple Store on the continent. The new shop has a strong emphasis on training and features 300 employees, two 360-degree Genius Bars and a spectacular location with a huge LED billboard for signage.
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08/20, 3:59pm
Nova Scotia store is now easternmost in North America
Apple opened three retail stores in Canada over the weekend, with celebrations in Halifax for the first Apple store in Nova Scotia, complemented with the opening of a new store in British Columbia, as well as a re-opening for an expanded store in Calgary. The new Coquitlam store, not far from Burnaby and Port Moody, is in a northeastern suburb outside the Vancouver area.
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05/28, 8:50am
Raises up to five percent will hit three months early
As one his first public actions as Apple's head of retail, John Browett is advancing the timetable for rolling out Apple raises for its Apple Store employees by three months, with the raises now scheduled to kick in starting June 30 rather than the previously-planned September 30. The raises are in addition to new Mac and iPad discounts given to the employees earlier this year. Raises will be between one and five percent of current salary.
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05/18, 11:24pm
Company to open 40 new stores in 2012
On the heels of last week's opening of the Murcia, Spain Apple Store, various sources have reported stores underway or near opening around the world. The next most likely international store is thought to be in Paris, France in the La Defense district, which is scheduled to open on May 26. Also coming later in the year is a new story in Salt Lake City, Utah; one near Bakersfield, California; a planned expansion of the existing store in Calgary, Alberta in Canada, and Apple has allegedly taken over a lease on a store in Plymouth, England.
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05/03, 3:52pm
Retail outlets to see more space dedicated to Apple
Apple is likely to increase its footprint outside of its existing Apple Stores, according to analysts at Piper Jaffray. The iPhone and iPad maker is looking to expand on pilot projects that have seen Apple "store-within-a-store" (SWAS) popping up in select Walmart and Target stores. Taken nationally, such a move would tremendously expand Apple's retail reach, as the two big box retailers have significantly more rural distribution than does Apple.
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04/02, 8:00pm
A second store for Scandinavia
Though still unannounced, job listings, city drawings and other clues have conclusively confirmed three forthcoming Apple retail stores in locations MacNN has reported on before. The setting for the new Yonkers, New York store has been confirmed by one of our readers as being in the Westchester Ridge Hill shopping center. Meanwhile, a new Apple store is underway in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Scandinavia may be getting a second store this fall.
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03/19, 8:40pm
Boosts user-driven support communities
The online Apple Store has added links to a new feature called "Answers from the community" that offers buyers' solutions on common questions relating to Macs, iPhones and iPads. In some cases, a single "best" answer is picked by Apple, in other cases a collection of best responses are shown. A list of top questions and popular topics are linked, taking readers to dedicated pages answering questions on a variety of topics.
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03/09, 1:00am
Will take over former Eddie Bauer location
Apple is hiring for staff at a forthcoming Apple store at Masonville Place in London, Ontario. An internal document meant for mall employees reveals that the location, near a Gap store in a spot formerly leased by Eddie Bauer, will be "under construction until late June," indicating a late June or early July opening. The jobs are listed on both the Apple Canada site and the Masonville Place website, reports MobileSyrup.
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01/23, 9:25pm
Chicago case common in insurance disputes
An unusual arrangement between Apple, a nearby train station and the contractors who did work on both has resulted in a lawsuit from Colony Insurance against Apple, the Chicago Transit Authority and contractor Petter Construction Company over liability on an accident claim that originated when a woman slipped and fell in the construction area between the then-in-progress Lincoln Park Apple Store and the also-renovated subway station next door.
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12/22, 8:40pm
Will feature glass roof like Upper West Side store
Apple spokesperson Amy Bessette has confirmed that a new Apple Store, soon to be built in Palo Alto just one block from the existing one, will serve as a prototype design, "building on everything we've learned" in ten years of creating retail spaces, The Mercury News reports. The new facility will feature a curved glass roof and facade that leverages natural light with an unobstructed view of the showroom, elements taken from the recently-patented design of Apple's Upper West Side store in New York City.
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11/15, 9:00pm
Steve Jobs credited as one of the designers
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted a patent for the striking exterior of Apple's Upper West Side store in New York City, just over a year after the patent was first filed. The patent recognizes the unique design of the store, and credits the late Steve Jobs as one of the designers. The Upper West Side store, not to be confused with the iconic glass "cube" of the Fifth Avenue store, features a large glass storefront, along with a curved glass atrium-style roof.
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10/12, 6:50am
Samsung selling $2 Galaxy S IIs in Australia
Samsung has engaged in guerilla marketing tactics in Australia as it seeks to steal the thunder from the impending release of the iPhone 4S. The company has opened a “pop up” store right near the Sydney Apple Store where it is selling its Galaxy S II handsets to the first ten customers each day for $2. The sale continues on to this Friday, the first day of iPhone 4S availability.
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10/07, 2:45pm
iPhone 4S pricing, pre-orders go live in Canada
Many Canadian wireless providers have began offering the newly announced iPhone 4S for pre-orders. We've summarized the prices for the various capacity models at each. The device is available in either black or white at all, and the prices are in Canadian dollars.
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