11/23, 1:30am
Company's presence attracting other retailers
Apple's Regent Street store in London reportedly generates sales of approximately £2,000 (~$3,300 USD) per square foot, according to an Evening Standard report. The store's sales numbers make it the most profitable retail outlet in London, beating the high-end retailer Harrods by a factor of three. Apple's presence on Regent street has also been credited with helping to vitalize the area and attract other retailers.
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11/19, 4:15pm
Should aid in common store tasks
Apple Store workers will soon have more apps for their iPod touch-based EasyPay handhelds, a source claims. The devices are currently meant to run Easy Touch, an app which handles roaming checkouts in tandem with an attached card reader and barcode scanner. Apple is gradually retiring an assortment of Windows CE-based checkout units, which have been criticized as slow and unreliable.
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11/17, 10:45am
Greenwich, Connecticut store also en route
(Updated with Greenwich info) Though only recently rumored, plans have already been confirmed for an Apple Store opening in Nashua, New Hampshire. The new location will launch Saturday, November 21st at 10AM, within the Pheasant Lane Mall at 310 Daniel Webster Highway. The Apple Store is on the first floor near the food court.
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11/16, 1:40pm
App would tie into Apple Store services
Apple is planning to launch a new iPhone app for visitors to its retail stores, several sources claim. So far dubbed "Concierge," the app is expected to mimic the company's web-based reservations system, which lets users schedule Genius Bar and One to One appointments. Users should also be able to monitor various types of membership subscriptions. No date for the app's release has so far been leaked.
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11/12, 11:50am
Publich store opening set for November 14th, 10AM
Apple has revealed that its Upper West Side store -- based in New York City -- will open to the public at 10AM on November 14th. The outlet is Apple's fourth in Manhattan and 280th worldwide; it will employ over 200 workers, and on its basement level feature the company's "largest area ever" devoted to training and tech support, for instance incorporating a 45-foot Genius Bar. Normal operating hours will run from 9AM to 9PM Monday through Saturday, and 9AM to 7PM on Sunday.
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11/06, 4:15pm
Designed to cope with holiday rush
Apple has unveiled a new program for its retail stores, Reserve and Pick Up. Via the company's website, shoppers can now opt to have products held for later purchase at a store they select. Only Macs and iPods are eligible however, and pickup must occur between December 15th and the 24th. As the program is meant to cope with potentially long holiday lineups, shoppers can also have some products wrapped.
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11/06, 11:55am
Formal unveiling due for November 14th
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.
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11/05, 9:40am
France may outdo US in store openings
As foreshadowed in late October, Apple today revealed its first Parisian Apple Store, located in the Carrousel du Louvre. The shop is situated within close range of the famous Louvre art museum, and uses an elaborate two-floor design, with unique touches such as diamond-shaped windows. Coinciding with the store launch is the release of a free Musée du Louvre iPhone app, which showcases various exhibitions, such as Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.
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11/03, 12:20pm
Consumer Reports marks electronics shops
Apple leads in brick-and-mortar retail stores but is no match for more universally oriented stores online, Consumer Reports says in its December issue (subscription needed for results). Of all major physical retailers, Apple scores the highest in a reader study. Although tied with Costco for an official 90-point score, it ranks highest through its perceived product quality, customer help and the ease of the buying process.
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11/03, 12:00pm
Few obstacles remain before construction
Apple is on the verge of building the first Apple Store within Philadelphia proper, writes Metro. The newspaper notes that design plans for the outlet are today scheduled to be reviewed by the city Art Commission, but most likely to be approved. The planned location is in an existing structure at 1607 Walnut Street, in a district suffering from slumping retail sales.
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10/30, 5:50pm
Mission Viejo Microsoft store opens
Microsoft's second-ever official retail store opened to lines resembling those of Apple's, an early estimate says. More than 1,000 are believed by the OC Register to have queued up for the Mission Viejo, California opening, some of whom had entered the line as early as the previous afternoon. It's not known how long lines remained in front of the store or how floor traffic has proceeded since the debut at 10AM local time.
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10/29, 2:30pm
Location to be company's first in Paris
Apple has confirmed the November 7th opening for its retail store located at the Carousel du Louvre. Like many Apple Store openings, the first 5,000 visitors will get a free t-shirt. Customers will be able to check out products on the bottom level, which includes a special area focused on the iPhone. A second floor hosts services such as educational workshops.
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10/29, 11:05am
Switch already said to be in effect in one area
Apple is transitioning its current mobile checkout system away from the Pocket PC to the iPod touch, several sources claim. A distinguishing trait of Apple Stores is the ability of clerks to handle payments away from a fixed station; the company has, however, been using Pocket PCs for this purpose since 2005, in spite of launching the iPhone and iPod touch in 2007. The move to the Touch is said to be coming in time for the 2009 holiday shopping season, and already in effect at a Valley Fair Mall location in Santa Clara, California, possibly as a trial.
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10/28, 6:40pm
Site said to be ready ahead of schedule
Despite earlier reports suggesting the Carousel de Louvre Apple Store would be ready by November 15th, the French site macgeneration now claims the grand opening is scheduled for November 7th. Sources allege the company will provide official details by Friday, including a partnership with the nearest Starbucks to provide free coffee for early birds waiting in line.
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10/28, 1:20pm
Microsoft Signature PCs arrive at retail
The Windows PCs at Microsoft's first retail stores are deliberately purged of the third-party apps they would normally carry, employees and eyewitnesses have confirmed. Product Advisor Jared Marino explains these systems, regardless of the brand, are considered Signature PCs and won't include any unnecessary third-party software. In exchange, they come preloaded with the normally optional Windows Live Essentials pack as well as extras like Bing 3D Maps, Security Essentials and the Zune client.
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10/27, 11:50am
Recession continues to hamper traffic
Apple Stores should return to some measure of growth in the December quarter, argues Needham analyst Charlie Wolf. While worldwide retail revenues were up 9 percent overall in the September quarter, Wolf notes that same-store revenues dipped down 6.3 percent. Outlets also saw Mac sales fall 3 percent, and non-Mac sales slip by 0.6 percent. The latter figure is actually thought to have been alleviated by a doubling of year-over-year iPod touch sales, while the former is described as less severe as a result of updated MacBook Pros.
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10/27, 10:40am
Location long under development
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.
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10/26, 3:25pm
Renovation meant to aid new Apple Store
Apple has agreed to spend over $4 million on renovating a Chicago subway station, according to Chicago Business. The station is situated near the intersection of North and Clybourn, where Apple is set to build another retail store for the city, measuring some 15,000 square feet with design by long-time partner Bohlin Cywinski Jackson. The lease on the real estate is expected to cost Apple at least $700,000 annually.
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10/26, 10:20am
Will help open new shopping complex
Apple is set to open a second Scottish Apple Store on October 29th, in the northern city of Aberdeen. As with a recent Welsh store opening, the Aberdeen launch is unusual in that it is occurring mid-week, and at a time other than 10AM. Hours are expected to run from 12PM to 8PM on opening day, before switching to a regular start time of 9AM.
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10/22, 3:40pm
Scottsdale MS store copies Apple opening
Microsoft today opened its promised first Microsoft Store in Scottsdale, Arizona, marking its first significant effort in retail beyond experiments. The store matches leaked presentations showing a bright, spacious design resembling Apple stores and is now known to more directly imitate Apple in its staff and openings. As shown in an official video (available below), staff wear shirts in Windows-themed colors and, in today's launch, were grouped in lines to cheer the first customers entering the store.
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10/21, 4:50pm
European growth outstrips global figures
A multi-channel strategy is at least partly responsible for Apple's high fourth-quarter growth in Europe, says Pascal Cagni, Apple's general manager and VP for Europe, Africa, the Middle East and India. Whereas growth was 20 percent in the Americas and 25 percent worldwide, combined European revenues advanced 45 percent. Some $2.491 billion was accumulated in the region, as compared to the $4.297 billion produced in the Americas.
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10/21, 12:00pm
Expands retail outlets to Welsh capital
Apple is set to launch a new Apple Store in the Welsh capital of Cardiff, according to an announcement. The St. David's 2 outlet is atypically scheduled to open on a Thursday, specifically October 22nd at 10:30 AM. Apple most often opens stores on Saturdays, and half an hour earlier. The Cardiff location may nevertheless attract a number of shoppers, as the surrounding area is believed to have 2.9 million residents, and an average of 27 million visitors every year.
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10/19, 11:30pm
Second Microsoft Store one week later
Microsoft today confirmed more of its retail opening plans with sites for its first two stores. In addition to confirming the Scottsdale opening this Thursday, the Windows creator now says the Mission Viejo, California store is due to open a week later, on October 29th. It should partly mirror the Arizona opening with Justin Bieber performing a concert at the second location for the first 1,000 to ask for free tickets.
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10/19, 8:50pm
Projects appear to be continuing after delays
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.
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10/19, 5:45pm
Notebooks buoy Apple computer sales
As a part of its fourth-quarter financial results, Apple has also produced detailed segment information. Revenue in the Americas is up 20 percent year-over-year, and now sits at $4.297 billion. European revenue has jumped a substantial 45 percent to $2.491 billion, while Japan has grown 36 percent to reach $434 million. Worldwide retail revenues are up 9 percent to $1.867 billion.
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10/19, 8:20am
Microsoft ad shows store launch details
Microsoft has confirmed plans to open its first Microsoft store on Windows 7's launch for Thursday. The Arizona Republic ad promises the Scottsdale store will open at 10AM and is providing multiple incentives to spur early traffic: the first 1,000 visitors get gift bags and tickets to an Ashley Tisdale concert at 5PM. Every PC buyer on launch day gets a free HP printer and a copy of Office 2007 Home & Student.
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10/15, 12:40pm
Microsoft retail timed with new OS
Microsoft's planned retail store openings will start just in time for Windows 7's appearance next week, a leak late yesterday may reveal. A single source for the WSJ says the first store, in Scottsdale, Arizona, should open either on Windows 7's October 22nd release date or within a few days afterwards. However, it would be the only store to launch near the OS as the Mission Viejo, California store would only open a few weeks later.
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10/13, 10:10pm
Store may alleviate traffic at other locations
The new Apple Store in Manhasset, New York is scheduled to have its grand opening this Saturday October 17th at 10 o'clock. Although the town only has a population of 8,300, the location seems ideal considering the area has an average household income of $125,240 per year --among the 10 highest incomes for any existing Apple Store Location, according to ifoAppleStore. The opening should also help to alleviate the heavy traffic in the three Apple Stores located on Long Island, the report said.
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10/13, 11:45am
Disney aims to remake and expand outlets
Disney's retail division is turning to Apple and its CEO, Steve Jobs, for help in redesigning its 340 American and European retail stores, says the New York Times. The Disney aim is to attract more children to the outlets and keep them there longer, as a consequence keeping parents there, who may feel more pressured to buy. The centerpiece of the redesign is a theater, which will allow kids to select and watch film clips, sing in karaoke contests, or speak live to Disney Channel celebrities via satellite hookup.
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10/13, 9:20am
Phones 4u to support multiple carriers
UK retailer Phones 4u has announced a deal to begin selling the iPhone, both online and through its stores. Devices will be paired either with the original UK iPhone carrier, O2, or else Orange, which is slated to begin support later this year. Phones 4u has not mentioned a particular timeline for starting sales, or what special discounts it might offer, if any.
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10/01, 10:00am
May run against international Apple policy
Apple's Israeli reseller, iDigital, is instituting a discriminatory campaign against imported Apple products, a local protest group claims. Macs sold in the region are said to cost up to twice as much as in the US, prompting some Israelis to buy computers while traveling abroad. In theory, the international warranties provided with Macs should get users repair coverage from any authorized repair site.
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09/22, 9:20am
Serious concerns about management
Workers at the Alderwood Mall Apple Store in Lynnwood, Washington have taken the unusual step of planning a walkout, accounts say. The action is currently expected to take place at 1PM on Saturday, October 3rd. Creatives, Geniuses and Mac Specialists will allegedly leave the building, gaining support from some of the outlet's former employees.
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09/21, 5:20pm
MS poaching Apple retail managers
Microsoft is actively trying to lure away Apple's retail workers for its first chain stores, according to a new leak. Sources for The Loop claim the Windows developer is not only soliciting Apple's store managers but in many cases is promising large raises and even offering to cover relocation costs for some of them. Some high-performing sales staff are also purportedly being encouraged to switch over.
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09/16, 4:40pm
Will expand Canadian metropolitan coverage
The first Apple Store in Winnipeg, Manitoba is set to launch at 10AM this Saturday, Apple has announced. The shop is located inside of the Polo Park Shopping Centre at 1485 Portage Avenue, on the intersection with St. James Street. Regular Monday-to-Friday hours are 10AM to 9PM; Saturday hours are 9:30AM to 6PM, and on Sunday, the shop is open from just 12 to 6PM.
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09/16, 1:10pm
Hit by withering effect of mail, digital
Rental chain Blockbuster Video will close between 810 and 960 stores by the end of 2010, an SEC filing reveals. While putting a significant number of people out of work, and closing off some markets, the move is expected to add another $50 to $60 million to annual earnings before expenses like taxes and interest. The company has over 7,000 stores worldwide at present, scattered across Asia, Europe, the US and Australia.
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09/16, 11:40am
Confirms earlier reports
Validating earlier observations, Apple has announced that the Augusta, Georgia Apple Store will open on September 19th, at 10AM. The outlet is based in the Augusta Mall Promenade, found at 3450 Wrightsboro Road. Store hours run from 10AM to 9PM between Monday and Saturday, and 12PM to 6PM on Sunday.
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09/14, 5:05pm
Could streamline store visits
Apple is planning to reorganize the layout of Apple Stores in order to better support the iPhone, anonymous sources claim. Possibly launching as soon as Tuesday, changes are said to revolve around the creation of "iPhone Activation Zones," where people can pick up and activate their purchases after having done pre-authorization online. There people may be met by "iPhone Experts," with distinct sets of badges and t-shirts.
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09/07, 11:30am
Joins original Roman store
On Saturday Apple opened its Carosello Carugate Apple Store, only the company's second retail location in all of Italy. The store can be found near Milan, and should help to serve northern Italy, which has not had easy access to Apple products. Apple's other shop is based in Rome, in the south of the country.
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09/03, 9:30am
Second heist nets greater reward
The Sagemore Apple Store in Marlton, New Jersey has become the victim of a second robbery in the space of just over four months, say reports. In Thursday's incident, captured on video, five men attacked the store shortly after 2AM, breaking through a glass facade with a large rock. In a little over 30 seconds the group is said to have taken 23 notebooks, and 14 iPhones and iPod touches before fleeing into a nearby residential area.
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08/25, 7:55pm
Target Apple partnership
Target has established a new partnership with Apple to establish a dedicated Target area on iTunes. The portal will feature a variety of exclusive albums that will only be available through Target, Target.com, iTunes and other select retailers. The special section will also include a variety of other content such as bonus tracks, videos, iPhone apps, and more.
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08/25, 4:55pm
FTN on iPod retail sales
In spite of recent Piper Jaffray observations, iPod sales actually did better than expected in July -- at least at retail, according to FTN Equity Capital Markets analyst Bill Fearnley Jr.. Having surveyed a collection of retailers across the US, Fearnley notes that 27 percent of them reported above-plan iPod sales for July, as compared to 7 percent for June, and a group of 13 percent who claimed below-anticipated results in May.
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08/25, 2:40pm
New NYC, Hamburg stores
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.
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08/25, 10:40am
Frisco, Dedham stores soon
Apple has formally announced two new retail store openings, with a third believed to be coming soon. The first opening will take place at 10AM Eastern on August 29th, in Dedham, Massachusetts. Known as Apple Store Legacy Place, the shop is situated at 950 Providence Highway, near an intersection with Elm Street. No details on store hours have been provided.
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08/24, 11:15am
Apple tops on Fifth Ave.
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.
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08/21, 11:45am
MS Starts Hiring Retail
Microsoft late Thursday acknowledged that it has started hiring for its first true retail chain. The listings support those leaked earlier this month and show the company partly mirroring Apple's retail worker strategy, albeit without special names. Those manning Microsoft's Guru Bars are labeled as "technical advisors" while the equivalents to Apple's Concierges, who greet and direct customers, will be "customer service associates."
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08/19, 3:25pm
Canadian iPhone shortages
The iPhone 3GS continues to be unavailable in much of Canada, writes the Globe and Mail. Despite promises of continual shipments, Rogers says it is once again out of stock for the iPhone 3GS -- launched in June of this year -- and even the iPhone 3G, released in 2008. The carrier's sub-brand, Fido, is still said to have some 3G models in stock.
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08/11, 10:30am
VA, IL, GA Apple Stores
Apple is launching three new retail stores in the near future, two of which will debut on Saturday, August 15th. The first is in Reston, Virginia, with a 10AM Eastern opening time but few other details. It is located at 11900 Market Street, near Reston Town Center and the corner of Discovery.
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08/07, 4:15pm
MS Store Logo and Shots
Microsoft on Friday afternoon showed a construction photo of one of its first retail stores, simultaneously confirming its logo. Similar to the Apple stores the Windows developer hopes to replicate, the stores have art teasing the imminent opening and in this case show all of Microsoft's brands. Unusually, this includes the Bing search engine as well as the company's more tangible products, like Windows 7 and the Zune.
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08/06, 2:05pm
InBloom 2.0 ships
Retail consignment software InBloom 2.0 is now shipping. The major update to the FileMaker-based software has added Twitter integration, customized and PDF printing along with new architecture for quick upgrades. Twitter support allows the software to quickly launch availability updates for popular products. The software focuses on resale support for small businesses, with inventory management, customer management, point-of-sale and check-printing capabilities while being networkable and customizable.
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08/06, 10:40am
Apple 'abuse' detectors
A recently disclosed patent application could aid Apple in excluding more warranty claims. Titled Consumer Abuse Detection System and Method, the filing suggests a scheme by which technicians could detect damage caused in warranty-breaking incidents. While iPhones, iPods and MacBook Pros already have liquid sensors -- which change color after submersion -- a proposed system could record shocks, dramatic temperature changes or even tampering, the latter through the use of a "continuity" sensor.
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