Apple is finally on the verge of finishing its fourth Manhattan retail store, eyewitness reports note. The outlet is situated at the corner of Broadway and 67th, near Lincoln Center and the Julliard School. Likely because of a more elaborate design in a prestigious neighborhood, the store has taken some time to build, having been in development for well over a year.
Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer confirmed plans to open several new retail locations in France and New York City. The executive, speaking at an investor conference call, mentioned that the company is finally ready to reveal the store at Carrousel du Louvre in Paris. Although the project was initially acknowledged by Apple in June of last year, reports early this year suggested construction had begun to stagnate.
The upcoming Apple Store located on 67th Street and Broadway in NYC is expected to be completed before Thanksgiving, a construction worker told the Westside Independent. A separate source in the investment community also claims Apple is already working on staffing the location, as several employees in surrounding stores have allegedly been offered managerial positions.
Apple has allegedly settled on a choice for its New York office space, with an insider pointing to a 30-story tower built by Macklowe Properties, at 510 Madison. Silicon Alley Insider reveals that Apple is seeking two floors at the location, approximately 15,000 square feet, which reportedly carries a high rental cost, but the developer might be willing to work out a deal after experience an unsatisfactory year. Exact pricing on the space was not revealed.
Apple is reportedly filming a commercial at its flagship Manhattan Apple Store today, shutting down the store for six hours. Apple's retail store page states: "Please note we will be temporarily closed Thursday, May 29 at 3:00 p.m. and will reopen Friday, May 30 at 9:00 a.m. During this time, please visit one of our other two Manhattan locations." As noted by MacRumors the 5th Avenue store has only been entirely closed twice in its history: the iPhone launch and the Leopard launch. Speculation holds that a television commercial will be filmed during this closure.
A massive line formed unexpectedly today at Apple's flagship Fifth Avenue store in New York City, observers say. Accounts indicate that at one stage during the day the line was in excess of 60 people long, even though customers can technically visit the shop at any time of day or night, bypassing the large crowds at peak periods. Lines only typically form at the Fifth Avenue store for major launches, such as that of the iPhone.
Despite one of its best quarters ever, Apple on Thursday cut 174 sales jobs at its Elk Grove campus. The Business Journal reports that all affected employees -- some of whom were part of the company's telesales team and others who were online chat representatives -- were offered the option to relocate to location in Austin, Texas, or apply for another position at Apple in Elk Grove; however it was not clear why Apple chose to reduce its sales force as many predict a bright future with Macs sales growth outpacing the PC industry. Last year the company was searching for workers to man its iPhone support team in the Sacramento area.
Apple is claiming that a new logo for New York City's GreeNYC campaign is too similar to its own. According to Wired, the GreeNYC logo shows a stylized apple with a stalk and a leaf that bears a resemblance to Apple's famous logo. When the city applied for a trademark on the logo, Apple filed a formal opposition, claiming that a trademark grant on the logo would "seriously injure the reputation which [Apple] has established for its goods and services." The city of New York stated, in response: "The city believes that Apple's claims have no merit and that no consumer is likely to be confused. This well-known city is using its new design in a variety of contexts that have absolutely nothing to do with Apple Inc."
One of Apple's 40 new retail stores planned for 2008 will be another New York City shop, according to reports. Following the recent opening of its third (and largest) Manhattan retail store earlier this month, the company is intending to tear down and rebuild a storefront at 1981 Broadway, on the northwest corner of West 67th Street; the current building is an 8,500 square-foot Victoria's Secret, and was at one point the site of the Cineplex Odeon Regency Theater. Victoria's Secret parent company Limited Brands has reportedly been attempting to sublease the space for some time.
Apple has officially declared that its newest retail store on West 14th Street in New York's Meatpacking District will open on Friday, December 7th at 6:00 p.m. EST. The new store is Apple's first three-story retail space that boasts two floors dedicated to products and a third dedicated to services, including a 46-foot Genius Bar and specially designed areas for workshops as well as personal training. The Apple Store West 14th Street also introduces Pro Labs where customers can receive free, in-depth training on Apple's industry-leading pro applications including Final Cut Pro.
Apple is opening another retail store in New York at 401 West 14th Street, making it the third store to open in the sprawling metropolis. With already two record-making Apple locations – SoHo was the first to feature the glass staircase, and Fifth Avenue is the store with the large glass cube in front – the company looks to do it again: the large, three-floor location will be Apple's largest in the city. Apple will open the doors to the new location at 6:00PM on Friday, December 7th, in New York's Meatpacking district. Customers that are interested in showing up early will receive commemorative T-shirts and are eligible for other prizes, while supplies last.
