Apple has sent out media invitations for a preview of the company's fourth Manhattan retail store, scheduled to occur November 14th. The store is situated in the Upper West Side of the island, at the corner of Broadway and 67th; neighbors include the Lincoln Center and the Julliard School. It is still unknown when doors will open to the general public.
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.
Nearly a third of all iPhone calls made in the New York City area are dropped, according to a Genius Bar technician at Apple's SoHo retail store. A person who recently brought his iPhone 3G to the outlet says he complained of being repeatedly disconnected, thinking the issue was related to faulty hardware. On testing, the Genius is noted to have discovered that over 22 percent of the phone's calls had been dropped.
Apple has picked out an area for its latest New York City store, according to the company's retail chief, Ron Johnson. Speculated for some time, the shop will open later this year in the upper West Side of Manhattan, joining three other stores on the island including the famous Fifth Avenue flagship outlet. No specific building site has been announced, but some rumors have proposed that it could be established near Lincoln Center, or possibly within the Time Warner Center, which is already home to a number of luxury-oriented businesses.
Apple's flagship store in New York City is likely producing the highest gross of any shop along Fifth Avenue, says the executive VP of Newmark Knight Frank Retail, a New York real estate broker. Jeffrey Roseman comments that the cube-shaped Apple Store probably has annual sales of over $350 million, despite only occupying 10,000 square feet in its luxury shopping district. Faith Hope Consolo, a division chairman at Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate, notes that Apple could be the all-time champion of Fifth Avenue sales, though Apple does not publicize individual store revenues.
In early-morning launches at carrier and Apple Stores, the iPhone 3G S has gone on sale in different eight countries, including the likes of the United States, Canada, France and Germany. The most prominent launch so far has been the one at the Fifth Avenue Apple Store in New York City, where despite less press coverage and lower publicity from Apple, approximately 200 people waited in line to be some of the first in the US to own a 3G S. The Soho and 14th Street stores in New York bore witness to smaller lineups.
Apple's flagship store in New York City has proven extremely profitable, reporting sales of approximately $440 million a year, according to the New York Post. Part of this may be attributable to people shopping less in the SoHo area, instead purchasing more goods at Fifth Avenue stores. Such behavior would be odd however, considering that Fifth Avenue stores typically have shorter hours than their SoHo counterparts. The Fifth Avenue Apple Store pulls in at least some extra revenue as a result of being open 24 hours a day.
Information has emerged on two new Apple Stores, located on opposite sides of the United States. The most prominent is Apple's fourth New York City outlet, which while acknowledged by the company has not been given an official location. Reports now suggest that the store is under construction in Manhattan's Upper West Side, at the corner of 67th and Broadway. The site was formerly a Victoria's Secret, but has already been surrounded by a facade resembling the cubic shape of an Apple Store. Photos can be seen below.
Apple is looking at taking over a thrift shop in order to set up a dedicated Brooklyn retail store, claims Gothamist. Anonymous source say the company has already bought a building at 176 Bedford Avenue, on the corner of North 7th Street; the location is not empty and up for lease, as is usually the case with Apple's acquisitions, but presently occupied by the Salvation Army. The church may be looking to sell however, as earlier rumors suggested the building could become a McDonald's restaurant.
Apple's flagship American store, the Fifth Avenue location in New York City, will temporarily close on July 10th, Apple has announced. The store will shutdown at midnight on the 10th, and only reopen several hours later at 8AM, allowing preparations for some of the first North American sales of the iPhone 3G. The closing is notable in that the Fifth Avenue location is normally open 24 hours a day, year-round, making tomorrow a rare disruption.
Four Brooklyn men have been arrested in connection with a scam involving the iPhone, writes the New York Times. Michel Origval, Elorge Zamy, Ulyses Campbell and Christopher Thervil have been charged with robbery and possession of a weapon, following a string of incidents in which people responded to Craigslist ad promoting a bulk sale of iPhones. The men would arrange meetings with potential buyers on Flatbush street corners, only to steal money and any other possessions they had with them.
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.
Apple is focusing in its hunt for an additional New York City store, according to the New York Post. "Sources" tell the newspaper that after having considered the linked locations of 15 Broad Street and 23 Wall Street, it is now concentrating on the latter, and in the middle of serious leasing negotiations with Robert K. Futterman and Associates. A representative for Apple at RKF, Karen Bellantoni, has declined to comment on the issue.
Apple is planning to open its first retail store in Maine this year, the Portland Press Herald reports. The newspaper observes that Apple's official job listings mention a location in the Maine Mall, and listings on Monster.com refer to openings for artists, store managers, sales representatives and inventory specialists. An Apple spokeswoman has refused to confirm either half of the equation, but has not denied any claims either.
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."
Linkin Park's Apple Store concert, hinted at by band member Mike Shinoda, was played last night at the New York City SoHo location. The event got underway just after midnight according to reports, and was filmed and recorded for a later release on the iTunes Store, sources for Billboard say. The finished product will likely be ready in March, featuring songs such as "Wake," "My December" and "Bleed It Out."
Linkin Park and Apple are putting together a "secret" concert in New York City, according to band member Mike Shinoda. He writes on his blog that the band had recently won its second German Echo award, and is preparing to play a sold-out show in Madison Square Gardens, before briefly mentioning the "secret" project. According to AppleInsider, this could potentially coincide with a highly rumored Apple event, but is unlikely, since Apple has not sent out invitations.
A new location has been suggested for Apple's long-rumored retail store in Brooklyn, New York City. Added to the list of possible sites is 345 Adams Street, a formerly city-owned plot bought for the creation of upper-class shops and restaurants. Sources in the real estate industry claim that Apple is one of several retailers considering a portion of the 40,000 square feet being made available for retail, located inside a former court building.
A group managing the pension fund for New York City's public servants is continuing a lawsuit against Apple, despite a ruling suggesting it should not, reports say. In November, Judge Jeremy Fogel of the US District Court in San Jose determined that the New York City Employees' Retirement System (NYCERS) had no basis for suing Apple over stock backdating, as it hadn't actually suffered damages. Fogel did recommend joining a derivative suit that would not have produced payouts, but NYCERS has instead chosen to re-file a second version of the suit.
