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2003 12-29-2003 I've added more "charts and graphs" to the financial pages, showing the retail segment's performance over the last 8 fiscal quarters. I've seen several Apple stores with "Sale" tables that include printers, software, books, Powerbook batteries (oddly labeled "Refreshed"), and laptops. Books seemed to be priced at $9.95 regardless of original cost ($19.95 to $24.95), while some accessories were 10% off. One really interesting find on the table: AppleCare for the iPod at 10% off. 12-28-2003 A story in the Rocky Mountain News focused on various retailers, and quoted retiree Richard Rodenburg saying he didn't know how to turn on a laptop computer until he asked an Apple employee for help during the 2002 holiday season. The article said, "Employees kept the store open well past closing time to answer all of his questions and outfit his laptop with the Internet- browsing software he wanted." His wife Marilyn Rodenburg added, "They treat gray hairs the same way they treat the hotshot 20-year-olds." The entrance to Apple stores now sport an easel with a poster that reminds visitors, "Time's Ticking." The poster notes that store visitors can "add a Macintosh to your office" by midnight on Jan. 31st and (possibly) deduct it from their taxes. Ever heard of an "iPod Genius?" Well, some Apple store staffers are now wearing such T-shirts, in addition to the many other designs. I've posted more links to other stories and photos of the Ginza (Tokyo) store grand opening, and also some of the slides that were presented during the pre-opening press event. In particular, there is a slide headlined, "The Ultimate Store Is Here," and then describes its features that include, "A store for everyone," and "A place to belong." 12-25-2003 A San Jose (Calif.) Mercury-News newspaper story included a quote from an Apple store employee about iPod sales during the past year. "It still beat our overestimating expectations," said Kawika Holbrook, assistant manager at the Valley Fair store. He added his store sold "thousands" of iPods since Thanksgiving. Interestingly, Holbrook told the reporter that an FedEx jet from Oakland to Memphis that caught fire Thursday upon landing included a shipment of iPods, although Apple hasn't confirmed if the iPods were damaged or destroyed. In general, iPods have been difficult to find at Apple stores--or anywhere else. However, Apple watchers are divided on the reason: the huge demand for mp3 players, or a supply shortage in front of new iPod models to be announced at MacWorld Expo, Jan. 5-9 in San Francisco. If you purchased something during the holiday season, the Apple store employee would ask you, "Is this a gift?" when you made your purchase. If you answered, "Yes," they would give you a red, holiday-decorated paper slip that would allow the gift recipient to return or exchange the gift. Nice touch! 12-24-2003 Apple is looking for a Retail Merchandise Manager for its Japan retail operation, who will, "determine the merchandising direction and strategy within the Apple retail stores in Japan. Facilitate and promote timely communication and cooperation between stores, merchandising functions and resources. Understand competitors’ strengths, weaknesses and strategy. Responsibilities include third party merchandise selection, pricing and margin, retail adjacency planning and vendor relations." The position requires the candidate be fluent in Japanese. Check the Monster.com job site for details. 12-23-2003
If you're an Apple store shopper, be sure to check the company's "Promo" Web page for certain special deals available only to those shopping in-person, including a holiday printer bundle, and a deal on Final Cut Pro 4. Apple's "Jobs" Web page now has a listing for a one-of-a-kind "Theater Coordinator" for the One Stockton retail store, leading me to speculate the store will include a full training studio, either within the downtown San Francisco store--or even in the empty space to the west. The only other store with such a facility is Ginza (Tokyo). I've found a QTVR 360-degree view of Stockton and Market Streets, which shows the recent construction of the One Stockton Street Apple store--although part of the store is obscured by a pole. (link now inactive) 12-22-2003 Chicago Sun-Times newspaper columnist Michael Krauss writes about the holiday selling season, and calls the Apple stores a "marvelous shopping experience." He mentions that the North Michigan Avenue (Chicago) store is the "highest-trafficked" store in the group-- 30,000 visitors a week. He quoted Sr. vice-president for retail Ron Johnson as saying the company is selling one iPod every 10 minutes, presumably from all retail outlets. Krauss repeats the quote from Johnson that it's easier to be accepted into Stanford University than as an Apple retail employee, but added, "We have 17,000 applications for 1,000 retail positions" at the Apple stores. Lastly, Johnson recalls visiting Marshal Field's store in Chicago as a child. "There are five key places in the world we need to be. One of those is Michigan Avenue," Johnson said. Ah... where would those be? 12-20-2003 An analysis of Apple's just-released 2003 annual report indicates it intends to spend significantly on retail operations during the coming year, and may have more than 80 stores open by "back-to-school" of 2004, as earlier promised. The report also notes that the retail store operation lost $5 million for the fiscal year ending Sept. 27, 2003, but that retail sales were up 119% from the previous year, and contributed about 10% of the company's total sales.
I've posted a very short video of the special "no fasteners" cardboard box that was used to hold the Ginza (Tokyo) grand opening T-shirt. It's a marvel of construction! 12-19-2003 "Fast Company" magazine has Steve Jobs on its Jan. 2004 cover under the title "If He's So Smart...," and explains why innovators often fail to win in the long run. The coverage includes a profile of the Apple stores. The business magazine describes itself as, "the hip guide to the business revolution," and says it features "leading-edge entrepreneurs and the very fastest growing companies." Did you know that Apple offers various fee-based services at the Genius Bar? There's a rate card at the Bar that shows what's available and the starting prices. The Apple stores now have free CD copies of iTunes for both Macintosh and Windows computers. They're arrayed at the Genius Bar and at the island where iPods are displayed, and have a very distinctive, bright-green cardboard cover. Did you ever buy a book at an Apple store? Did you ever look at the "Return Date" that's automatically printed on the receipt? In my case, the receipt notes the date is Dec. 28th, and underneath states, "$4.00 fee if opened." Uh, huh? I've posted some information about Apple's "Mac Pac" service solution, which combines Genius Bar services with AppleCare to provide both immediate and long-term hand-holding for customers who buy a computer. I've posted two pages from the Japanese language G5 marketing brochure from the Ginza (Tokyo) store, one of the four marketing pieces in the store. Virtually all of the other signs, placards, etc. at the store were in English. I'm learning all the time! Apple has a Web page for providing specific feedback on its retail operations, which includes answering 18 questions with the typical "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree," etc. The Web site is printed at the bottom of retail store receipts. 12-18-2003 The New York Post newspaper reports that Apple is negotiating for a 21,000 square-foot space in the lower-level concourse of the GM Building as a second Manhattan retail store. The GM Building is at 767 Fifth Ave., between 58th and 59th St. in Manhattan, right at the corner of Central Park. It's sorta mid-Manhattan, while the SoHo store is near the southern tip of the island. The lobby was remodeled a few years ago to house the CBS "Early Show," and its also home to FAO Schwartz (flagship store). By the way, the Pike Net newsletter mentioned in the newspaper article refers to this Web site! 12-17-2003 Thanks to the tipster who pointed out that a current or ex-Apple retail store employee unloaded a collection of 16 shirts on eBay, fetching $202.02. From the T-shirt styles, it's apparent the employee worked at a retail store starting before the April, 2000 Powerbook G4 introduction, and until at least last October. I've discovered a video copy of an NHK-TV news report on the Ginza (Tokyo) store, and it includes a couple of stand-up interview quotes from Steve Jobs (out of synch audio!). Surf this page and wait for the 8.5 Mb download of the 60-second mp4 video. Here's a map that Apple displayed during the press event for the Ginza grand opening, showing the location of the Tokyo store and the up-coming Osaka store. Did Microsoft send a congratulatory flower bouquet to Apple's Ginza store opening? One Japanese Web site says, "Yes," and has a photo to prove it. See if you can translate it. 12-16-2003 The British "Independent" newspaper ran an on-line column pointing out the favorable exchange rate of the pound vs. dollar, and how it makes for great bargains in New York City for visitors from other countries. "Like other Brits in New York they would go to Apple primarily to check out its range of iPods, the hot-selling pocket-sized gizmos that can download thousands of songs from the internet and play them back through earphones. Buy the 10GB base model in London and you will pay £249 [$436.70]. Come to New York and you will pay $299, about £171. Why not buy two?" If the article's figures are correct, iPods are 32% less expensive in the U.S. than in Britain! The eBay auction site now includes an Ala Moana (Hawaii) store grand opening T-shirt, with bidding starting at $35.99, or "Buy Now" for $59.99. The record so far, I believe, was $51 for a Washington Square (Ore.) T-shirt sold Nov. 22nd. A Ginza (Tokyo) T-shirt did <not> sell after 13 bidders failed to meet an undisclosed minimum, with a starting bid of $56. Similarly, Corte Madera and Burlingame (N. Calif.) store T-shirts received no bids, both with a $24.99 starting price. A Santa Monica (S. Calif.) shirt just sold for $23.15, and a Short Pump (Virg.) shirt sold for $15--with a set of Panther dog tags! Appleturns.com has a read on the use of ShopperTrak in Apple stores to determine customer traffic, indicating some level of unease. With the permission of "Vortech," I've re-posted some of his photos of the North Point (Geo.) store grand opening. Note: I have successfully moved this Web site to a new server that has vastly more disk space and no bandwidth limitations, so I stream out more photos and videos. Let me know of any problems (missing files, e-mail, etc.) so I can correct them. If you'd like me to host your photo or video collection, let me know. 12-15-2003
The job listings for the Bethesda (Md.) store appeared--and disappeared! It was listed as store #84, but now is no longer among the listings for open job positions. [re-appeared on Dec. 16th, disappeared on Dec. 23rd..what's up?] An "Advertising Age" on-line story names Apple Computer as "Marketer of the Year," noting the various advertising and special projects Apple conducts to publicize and market its products. The story says, "Apple has spent $293 million in capital expenditures for a more direct way of fueling brand buzz through its chain of 73 retail stores..." The story mentions Lee Clow, chairman of TBWA Worldwide advertising agency, "whose team helped in-house executives to design the stores." Clow is quoted as saying, "The Apple store is the invitation, and it's going to be the growth." 12-13-2003 The Osaka (Japan) store isn't obvious yet, but a tipster says it will most likely be at the north end of Mido-suji-dori street in Shinsaibahi, which also happens to be home to Rolex, Chanel, Bvlgari, etc.--the usual high-end neighbors where Apple stores are built. If you're interested in some extra support for your Apple gear, consider the "Apple Pro Card," which include free transfer of software to a new computer, a 10%-off day, guaranteed next-day appointment with a Mac Genius, and other features. It's designed for business types, but would be useful for individuals, too. Yes, the delay of the La Encantada store, reportedly due to some type of unexpected construction glitch (either within or without the store), means that Apple will <not> have 74 stores open by year's end, as earlier promised. But Mr. D. points out that the manager positions for the Aventura and Charlotte stores have disappeared from Apple's "Jobs" Web page, so perhaps they're closer to opening... and maybe before year's end. 12-12-2003 The La Encantada (Ariz.) store will not open this year, according to mall management, but rather, "after the first of the year."
As a result of the Wired.com news story on the Ginza Apple store grand opening, several other Web sites have noted that Apple is using ShopperTrak to provide analysis of customer visits. At least two sites have incorrectly characterized ShopperTrak as "Big Brother" and "video surveillance." To be clear, ShopperTrak does not "video tape" visitors in the traditional sense. Instead, it uses optics and video technology to track customer entries into the store, and movements into and around portions of the store. More specifically, it takes a single video frame, compares it to the next video frame, and then discards that frame. From the comparison of the two frames the ShopperTrak software produces data--columns of numbers--that provide insights into customer traffic patterns. The same system is being used by many other major retailers in the U.S. Apple is <not> taping, watching or otherwise spying on visitors to its stores. It's only gathering traffic data--the same information that a human with a counter would collect. In my Ginza report, I noted that the front window display featured five laptop computers that were displaying a single video image: a swirling red, holiday-themed ribbon, and text about laptop. At the time I questioned how this five-screens, one-video magic might be performed, especially when there wasn't any additional hardware visible. It turns out there are several solutions, including some clever Swedish software called "Watchout" that runs natively on a Macintosh. From New Zealand, Keri e-mails, "Kia ora mai ra e. Apple in Aotearoa-New Zealand is a lowkey mercantile affair. Went to MagnumMac (*the* South Island Apple shop) last week to get a replacement keyboard--believe you me, it is NOTHING like your standardised profile shop! Genius bar--whuuut? Kid area--whoa! I know we are a tiny outath'way archipelago, tucked away at the top of the world: our Apple shops are like that, too." Check the photos of MagnumMac's four locations--yes, they're definitely not like U.S. stores. I've already reported that the Ginza (Tokyo) store employees can speak 10 languages, which I was told is pretty much the natural by-product of hiring some "pretty smart" people. I've since found a news article about the SoHo (NYC) store grand opening that said the store's employees could speak 12 languages. So apparently it's not so unusual to find bilingual employees at an Apple store. Photos of the North Point (Geo.) Apple store grand opening have been posted (not active forever -- alternate). 12-10-2003 The Wired.com Web site covers Apple, Macintosh and its associated culture, and has posted an article about this Web site and my trip to Japan with my son for the grand opening of the Ginza Apple store. Here's a MacObserver article on the same subject. An article in Business Week on-line say that electronics retailers, including Apple, "are luring customers with Zen-like stores aimed at providing service and building loyalty to their products." The working model for this philosophy is the SoHo (NYC) Apple store, "where 300 to 400 shoppers an hour can browse comfortably, take in a tutorial, or cozy up to the 'genius bar' to tap into the wisdom of a Mac expert." It quotes Sr. v-p for retail Ron Johnson as saying, "Our SoHo store is printing money," indicating its level of success. 12-8-2003 Apple Computer said that it hosted over 150,000 visitors to its retail stores the day after Thanksgiving, the most ever for a single day. 12-6-2003 I've added many additional links to the Ginza diary from sites in Japan, including someone who attended the press event and took a photo of the store's bathroom (!), and a great photo of store manager Steve Cano and staff. There are literally hundreds of Japanese blog entries about the new store, accompanied in some cases by a single, small photo taken with a wireless phone camera. The account of one person says he arrived at 1 p.m., waited 3 hours, and was still two blocks away from the front door. He waited a total of 5 hours to get into the store! Also check this Japan news article on the store opening. And check this collection of photos--look very carefully at rows 7-9...it shows Ron Johnson (in gray, accompanied by staffer in greenish sweater) walking the entire length of the v-e-r-y long line at about 10:30 a.m. I've created a map showing the waiting line, and its length at various times of the day. Every wonder how many people wander into an Apple store? So did I, until I actually sat down to observe and make my own count. Over a 15-minute period around 7 p.m. on a Friday at a mall Apple store, I counted 500 persons passing by the store, and 36 entering it--that's about 7%. Interestingly, it appeared that at least one-half of those persons entering were "on a bee line," and were specifically headed to the store. 12-5-2003 Apple has just posted job openings for a Bethesda (Md.) retail store. No location is mentioned on the site, but the Shoppingtown Montgomery, northwest of the District of Columbia is a good bet. [job listings disappeared about Dec. 10th, and then re-appeared on Dec. 16th] If you're willing to watch 10 minutes of video, you can see the entire waiting line for the grand opening of the Ginza store! You not only see the people, but the pedestrian control at each intersection along the way, and the "Tail End" sign being held by the security guard at the...well, tail end. The video was taken by Masanori Fukumoto and is unbelievable! I counted 1,982 persons in line from the video. It's interesting that H-P will begin selling plasma screens, joining other former computer-only companies (Dell & Gateway) who seem to be branching out into home entertainment. Quite simply, will Apple continue to hold the line and offer only it's computer and music-based products in its retail stores, or will it feel forced to branch out? Then again, Apple may already have some home entertainment products up its sleeves, and will introduce them -without- being forced by market pressures. MacObserver has updated a (much) earlier posted article on the "death knell" of Apple's retail stores, pointing out that all of the dire predictions over the years about the stores and the company itself have been "greatly exaggerated." Indeed. I await the release of Apple's latest annual financial report, which should be around the middle of this month. The information in the report won't be new, but will provide a well-organized summary of the past year's ups and downs for the company and the retail stores. 12-3-2003 Thanks to the tipster who sent me a photo of the Sayegusa Building before it was renovated to become Apple's Ginza retail store. I notice that there is still an opening for assistant manager at the Ginza (Tokyo) store. The store manager and assistant store manager positions are still open for the upcoming One Stockton Street (SF) store. There are also lots of retail job listings on Apple's Web site that state, "'This requisition is for future potentially available positions...", and that, "Qualified candidates will be contacted if and when a position becomes available." Lastly, there is a new type of job listing for what Apple calls a, "Flexible Work Mac Specialist," who presumably works as needed. Perhaps these listings are prompted by the upcoming holiday sales season. MacMinute reports that the DJ "Moby" will appear at The Grove (LA) store at 6:30 p.m. this Thursday. The group appeared earlier this year at the SoHo (NYC) store. 12-1-2003 - California Well, the first Ginza store grand opening T-shirt has hit eBay, and bidding begins at $41--no bids so far! There are also shirts for Pasadena (~$7) and Oak Brook ($49.99 'Buy It Now'). I'm working on the Ginza video reports for Saturday and Sunday, and then will turn my attention to the full-blown "music video" of the grand opening event, perhaps to finish within two weeks. Stay tuned! I've posted a price comparison of Apple products between Apple's on-line and U.S. retail stores, the Ginza (Tokyo) store, and the huge Bic electronics store in Tokyo. 11-30-2003 - Tokyo The Ginza (Tokyo) Apple store opened today with a loud and energetic welcome by the staff to a line of over 1,900! The sidewalk in front of the store was packed for hours as passersby tried to get a peek inside and take photos of the event. The first person in line arrived at 6 a.m. on Saturday, 28 hours before the store opening! Read my exclusive account, direct from the Ginza! Also check Apple's page of photos of the event, which includes first-in-line Devin on page three. I visited the Bic electronics department store, and have posted photos that show typical Apple retailing in Japan, along with some current product pricing in Japan. A tipster says the La Encantada (Tucson) store will open Dec. 13th. [later delayed until after the first of the year] 11-28-2003 - Tokyo I'm in Tokyo covering the grand opening of the Ginza Apple store. I've taken some photos and am putting together a video report. I've also gathered up some details about the store. My tip on the spiral glass staircase for the Ginza (Tokyo) accidentally mis-placed the location of the structure: it will appear at the Osaka Apple store, which open in Fall 2004. 11-26-2003 - California I left San Francisco at 11 a.m. today for the Ginza Apple store grand opening! Follow me across the Pacific Ocean and right to the front door of the store, through my daily reports, photos and videos. 11-25-2003 I've posted a video report on the progress of construction at the San Francisco Apple store. 11-23-2003 I've posted new photos of the high-profile San Francisco Apple store, which is scheduled to open in "Spring, 2004." The structural steel is up, the interior walls are in place, and you can clearly see the skylight over the interior stairway--all glass, no doubt. Construction "No Parking" signs assigned to DPR Construction expire on Jan. 1, 2004, but that's just a technicality, not an indication of when the store will be finished--continue to expect a Spring 2004 grand opening. The North Point (Geo.) Apple store will open on Dec. 6th. I ran across another type of Apple grand opening, complete with a free T-shirt giveaway: it was on Nov. 8th in Burwood, New South Wales (Australia), and the opening of this AppleCentre closely resembled a U.S. retail store event. AppleCentres are independently-operated stores, but with a States-side retail look, and are located around the world. During a recent analysts' meeting Ron Johnson mentioned an that Apple's retail stores would be doing more to generate revenue from business customers. Now the marketing materials are out: a bright blue "Let's Do Business" brochure leasing and financing options for business, a "Big Support for Small Business" card explains that, "Apple has everything your business needs" and space to attach a business card, an elaborate 6-panel, fold-out brochure titled, "Businesses run better on a Mac. Here's why," and includes a biz card cut-out. One of the brochures mentions, ""Every Apple Store has a Business Specialist and an on-site finance expert to answer your questions." 11-22-2003 Whoa!... the power of eBay. That Washington Square (Ore.) grand opening T-shirt sold for $51, apparently to a bidder in California. 11-21-2003 Apple has posted the day-by-day holiday hours for all its retail stores. Most are open until 6 p.m. on Dec. 24th, while the SoHo, Valley Fair (N. Calif.), Walden Galleria (NY), and Tices Corner (NJ) stores will be open regular hours on Christmas Day (!). On the other hand, most stores are open on New Year's Day, with only Aspen Grove (Colo.), Pasadena (S. Calif.), Sagemore (NJ), The Grove (S. Calif.) andTices Corner (NJ) being closed for the first day of 2004. $33 for an Apple store grand opening T-shirt?! Yikes! Check eBay for this Washington Square (Ore.) item that has a few bids. Paco Underhill is a "retail anthropologist" and in 2002 was interviewed by Business Week magazine, and asked about Apple's retail stores. He's a long-time Mac user, and generally had favorable comments, but also had some suggestions on improving the stores to match the behavior of customers. 11-20-2003 It's difficult to keep up with all the in-store events, but here's a big one: the day after Thanksgiving, traditionally the biggest shopping day of the entire year, Apple's retail stores will hold a, "Someone you know loves music" event. According to Apple's Web site, "Whether they’re Mac or Windows users, you’ll find a scintillating array of gifts, plus, a few surprises in store for you." That last phrase may refer to some type of discount (10% off?) on iPods during the Nov. 28th event. When you hit the Apple store to buy an iPod, be sure to pick up the new AppleCare service for it. Apparently with some repairs statistics under its belt to help determine pricing, Apple just launched the $59, 2-year warranty. 11-19-2003 Thanks to Keith ("The Man") in Tokyo, I now have photos of the Ginza Apple store: all coverings are down, and it's rather typical outside, with stainless steel on the lower floors, glass above, a giant Apple logo on the Ginza side, a similar one on the Matsuya-dori side, and a very subtle Apple logo on the back of the building. Big news-- there will be other tenants in the building, on floors 6, 7 and 8, including several law firms and a "cosmetology research institute." The building directory lists Apple as being on "1F-6F," so that leaves a mystery for what's on 6F...offices? The front, glass windows are still obscured with black plastic sheeting, so it's impossible to see inside. See Keith's entire photo collection, which includes a nice video panorama of the intersection. The Ginza store will hold a grand opening "Monitor Campaign," which apparently is Japan's version of a contest or sweepstakes. The conditions of the "campaign" are a little strange: it's officially and "evaluation" of Apple's products, and the winner must submit his/her evaluation within six months of being selected. Check the full rules on Apple's Japan Web site.
By the way, how does Apple know there 13,988,702 visitors to their stores? They must be counting each person that comes into the store... but how? I now know that they use very discrete, video-based customer counting equipment by ShopperTrak (Chicago). The sophisticated system provides real-time analysis of store traffic for both in-store (staffing, etc.) and headquarter (marketing, financial) purposes, and uploads the data to HQ periodically. updated 11-18-2003 What exactly will the Osaka store's spiral glass staircase look like? I can only guess it will resemble the current glass stairs at other high-profile stores--with a twist! Apparently spiral glass and stainless staircases aren't that uncommon, but all-glass spiral staircases are rare indeed. The "associated" architect on the Ginza project, Gensler, has some experience with impressive stairways--follow the above link to see some example by a British company that may provide a glimpse into the future. I should note the pseduo-Steve Jobs Web site has a page devoted to stores... the single, lonely entry gives away that the site really isn't connected to Steve. If it were, the stores would have a more prominent position and lots more entries! Oh, and it mentions "parody" at the bottom, too. Also, for "The Illustration Of The Year of Steve Jobs," I definitely have to nominate this Esquire entry! 11-16-2003 Check photos of the Washington Square (Ore.) store grand opening... Merritt and Ken were first in line at 6:30 a.m. Note that this store looks exactly like the Corte Madera store: all-glass front, narrow stainless steel above the glass with an Apple logo. Apple's Ron Johnson notes that store costs are reduced by standardizing and reusing designs. Apple has deployed special applications on their in-store computers to help visitors pick holiday gifts--for themselves or others!. The app has lots of graphics and roll-overs, and operates like a browser. It's much simplified from the Internet version of the gift guide. You click an on-screen button, and the multi-stage process begins with "Someone You Know..." loves Macs, taking photos, loves making movies or loves music. You make your choice, and the screen then displays products in that category with several choices, and so on. You continue selecting categories until you've narrowed down the choice. . You're then instructed to visit that area of the store to try out the product, or ask an Apple Specialist to retrieve one for you to purchase. There is also a set of four special cards that promote the three categories of products, and have "snowy" photos of people taking video, photos and listening to music, and one card that promotes Apple's "Top Gifts." The "Photo" card promotes the iBook G4, .Mac account, Canon PowerShot 5400 Elph camera, Adobe Photoshop Elements software, and Canon i960 Photo printer. The other two cards similarly promote five items, some as inexpensive as $14.95 (DVDs) ,and others up to $1,599 (Powerbook G4).
11-14-2003 Will the manager of the Ginza (Tokyo) store come from Japan or the United States? Speculation has been rampant, but I can reveal that for now, the manager will represent the American side of the Pacific, no doubt until the store is humming along and a Japanese manager can assume the helm. The Japan version of Apple's Web site has posted the floor-by-floor layout of the Ginza store: 1F - Home / Pro The building was designed by architects from Bohlin Cywinski Jackson (Calif.), the associated architect was Gensler (worldwide), the structural & facade engineer was Dewhurst Macfarlane and Partners Inc. (London-NY), the mechanical and electrical engineering was done by Flack + Kurtz Inc. (NYC), and the lighting design was by ISP Design Inc. (Miami). Project management was provided by Sato Facilities Consultants Inc. (Tokyo). Much of the scaffolding has been taken down from around the Ginza store, and you can now get an idea of what the store will look like. I've received photos, and am attempting to obtain permission to post them. On the Matsuya-dori Street side the scaffolding is completely down: the ground floor is still covered, the second and third floors appear to be dull, darker, brushed metal, and the three upper floors are entirely covered with greenish glass. On the Ginza-dori Street side, scaffolding and plastic still cover the lower three floors, but you can see the upper three floors, which are all glass floating away from the side of the building. Behind the upper floor glass on both sides, you can see what appears to be the interior, structural walls of the building. There is still white sheeting over two key areas of the store's Ginza side at the third-floor level--- one that appears large enough for a giant, cut-out Apple logo, and another smaller rectangular shape. Nowhere on the building do you see any indication that it's an Apple store (unless it's newspaper-sized print!). Surf the Spymac.com Web site, and check the latest photos in the gallery. I've added a weather "bug" to our Ginza page... for anyone who'll be standing in line for the grand opening! 11-13-2003 The on-line radio show "Your Mac Life" announced that it will begin a series of live broadcasts from Apple retail stores with a show from the Lenox Square (Atlanta) store on Dec. 1st. 11-12-2003 Apple is pushing sales in Australia by opening a store-within-a-store inside five branches of the David Jones retail chain. According to the news.com.au Web site, the stores will be "Apple branded and staffed by trained Apple employees." A pilot program has been running in a Sydney branch since May. It sounds as if Apple Australia has discovered what Apple America learned two years ago: retailers don't do well on their own. The story stated: "Apple Computer Australia marketing director Arno Lenior said the retail experience did not work in the past as the company 'let other people tell the story for us.'" The reaction from long-time Apple retailers has been negative. I note Time magazine's naming the iTunes Music Store as "Invention of the Year." Writer Chris Taylor said there were other contenders, "But for finally finding a middle ground between the foot-dragging record labels and the free-for-all digital pirates and for creating a bandwagon onto which its competitors immediately jumped, Apple's iTunes Music Store is TIME's Coolest Invention of 2003." 11-7-2003 On Tuesday Gateway president Ted Waitt will spotlight a $15 million store re-design rushed in time for the holiday selling season. A previous press release states, "The new stores provide a high-touch consumer electronics and PC buying experience that is unmatched in the marketplace." The pilot store was in Mission Valley (San Diego), and about 100 stores have been completely made over, with another 80 receiving a "moderate" redesign. The remodeling extends Gateway's ongoing move to a "branded integrator" rather than a PC company. A News.com story says the remodeled stores will have a "living room" motif. Check the company's retail plans here (updated with photos). Some stores have reportedly been very lightly remodeled-- just a couch and some different paneling.
11-6-2003 The Washington Square (Ore.) Apple store will open at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15th. During a revealing 37-minute presentation to financial analysts, vice president of retail Ron Johnson dropped several tidbits of information about the retail stores, including: a new Genius Bar reservation system, a sharper focus on store sales to small businesses, that less than 6% of applicants are hired to work in the stores, that the Ginza store will have a stainless steel facade, that employee turn-over is the lowest in the retail industry, that the stores will have a special holiday marketing promotion (Someone You Know...), that retail stores will begin performing more in-store repairs, that 1 in 5 store visitors come for the Genius Bar, that smaller stores sell 90% as much as large-style stores, there will be a holiday marketing effort, and expanded services are planned for the Pro Card. He also said there will be 80 stores open by back-to-school of 2004. Read this exclusive round-up of Johnson's remarks. 11-4-2003
In a press release about the Ginza grand opening, Apple said they've had 23 million visitors to their stores since the first one opened in 2001. After returning from an out-of-state trip, I learned that the Old Orchard (Ill.) store will open this weekend, and the Corte Madera (N. Calif.) store grand opening was generally a non-event. The former store will be Apple's 70th, leaving three other stores to open to meet Apple's previous predictions. The Corte Madera grand opening had no overnighter, the early crowd was light (only 15 in line by 9 a.m.), and there was no "running high-fives" when the doors were opened--those in line mostly strolled inside and said "Hi" to the employees. There was reportedly no spark and little excitement, although the eventual turn-out by Mac enthusiasts was very good. At the Legacy Village (Ohio) grand opening on Oct 24th, store manager Dan Norman told MacObserver that 1,000 T-shirts were given out by 11 a.m., and estimated total first-day visitors at 4,000. The Web story says the store is 30,000 square feet in the newly-opened mall, which seems a bit large--the store would have to be 300' x 100', or almost the size of a football field. More like 3,000 square-feet. Thanks to Frank Mc Cart for the unusual photo of the Sagemore (Ohio) store opening, where someone parked a specially-painted pick-up truck in front of the store! 10-29-2003 Just in time for Halloween, Forbes magazine has posted some amusing, printable and wearable masks that include a "pirate" likeness of Steve Jobs. 10-28-2003
The University Town Center (San Diego) Apple store was one of many businesses that were evacuated Tuesday around 11:30 a.m. because of the Cedar wildfire. The store is less than five air miles from the western flank of the fire, and directly in the path of the huge, drifting smoke plume. The fire has so far destroyed 880+ homes, killed 10 persons, and consumed over 275,000 acres. There are over 2,300 firefighters on the fire line. The Apple store is beyond Interstate 805, and probably beyond any direct danger from the fire. Two other fires, the Otay and Paradise fires, are within 25 miles of the store, whose phone isn't being answered. 10-26-2003 Apple is reportedly negotiating a lease on what's described as a "corner location" at the Irvine Spectrum Center, a huge, 880,000 square-foot destination mall at the convergence of three freeways in Orange County (S. Calif.). The outdoor-style mall is still being developed, has none of Apple's usual retail neighbors, but will have Nordstrom and Target by 2006. Check the mall's Web site for more information. The ThinkSecret Web site is looking to collect "terms and conditions" from both service and retail sales transactions at Apple's stores, from as many different states as possible. This "Action Item" asks that you e-mail the information to them. I've posted the current California version of what Apple calls its "Purchase Policies" (as printed on the back of the store sales receipt), but there are apparently variations by state. 10-25-2003 I attended the Panther roll-out at the Walnut Creek (N. Calif.) Apple store, arriving at about 6:15 p.m. to find Josh already in line. The store closed at 7:30 p.m. so employees could prepare for the event, and there were about 145 persons in line when the store opened at 8 p.m. The line remained for about 90 minutes as those inside asked questions and received demonstrations on the new operating system's features. When they left, attendees received a set of distinctive Panther dogtags. Here's my full report and photos. The Corte Madera (N. Calif.) and Sagemore (NJ) Apple retail stores will open on Saturday, Nov. 1st. Depressingly, I'll be out of town and unable to attend the Corte Madera store opening! I hope they give more notice for the Tokyo store grand opening! John Konopka told the MacMinute site that he encountered several Japanese employees at the Burlingame (N. Calif.) Apple store during the Panther event, and that they're in the United States to train for the Ginza (Tokyo) store. 10-24-2003 A Mac enthusiast has posted photographs of this morning's Legacy Village (Ohio) grand opening event. It's an outdoor mall, and Apple secured the corner spot! 10-23-2003 I'll be at a Northern California Apple store for the official Panther roll-out...look for the guy taking photos! They'll reportedly be giving out Panther "dog tags" to attendees. I'll post a full report here Friday night. Business Week magazine honored Apple Computer's SoHo (NYC) retail store with the 2003 BusinessWeek/Architectural Record Awards in the category of "high-profile retail store in historic building." The building is formerly Station A for the U.S. Postal Service, retains all the outside architectural features, and uses a pair of very small and very subtle Apple logos for identification. 10-22-2003 I've reorganized the Web site slightly, putting most graphics, images and store information in their own directories. Doublecheck any bookmarks to the site...and let me know of any broken links. Apparently Apple retailers in other countries have been having problems receiving sufficient stock of hardware. An on-line Australian story quotes several retailers who say hardware isn't plentiful. 10-21-2003 Who's your buddy? Com'on! It's Steve Jobs, of course. Now he has an official ifoAppleStore portrait in front of the SoHo store in New York City (right), which I commissioned from artist Jim Meehan. Eventually I'll get around to generating a T-shirt or some other merchandise. For now, he's just keeping an eye on the Web site! Speaking of Mr. Jobs, he's been named #1 among Agenda Setters by Silicon.com, beating out You-Know-Who. The award is given to the person who, "drives the tech industry and, by doing so, shapes much of the global economy." Have I found the very first Apple store? Uh, it's doubtful! 10-20-2003 Did you ever need an Apple product at 10:59 p.m. at night? Where could you find an Apple store open at such an hour? Just get yourself down to the North Michigan Avenue store in Chicago-- it's open until 11 p.m. on Saturdays. On the other hand, better make it quick on a Sunday, because the Saddlecreek (Tenn.) store is open only from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays, much shorter hours than other Apple stores. Not surprisingly, the SoHo (NY) store has the shortest Saturday hours-- only from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. I've come up with the official ifoAppleStore logo for the upcoming Ginza store. It features the store's actual address on Giza-dori Street and a traditional, ornate Japanese gate. Check the Ginza page for the logo. If you study Apple's job listings page, you'll notice that each store is identified by a three-digit number preceded by the letter "R." The list is in no apparent order... so what's the secret? Check the list for yourself. 10-18-2003 I have exclusive details on the progress of construction at the Corte Madera (Calif.): the etched-glass partitions are installed, the store front has been installed, the front ceiling area is finished, and the ceiling supports for the rest of the store are installed. Today (a Sunday!) workers are installing the stone flooring. Check this photo for the interior view. Apple now has a heretofore unmentioned store listed on its "Jobs" Web page: Carousel Center in Syracuse (NY), a newly-expanded, upscale "destination center" built around a 42-horse, 1909-vintage carousel. It includes 170 shops, 7 department stores, a 19-screen cinema, 6 sit-down restaurants and an international food court. The complex drew 17 million visitors during 2001. Oddly, while the store is listed, there are no job openings listed. 10-16-2003 About 75 persons (including Larry Magid and I) attended the iTunes event at Apple's Palo Alto (Calif.) store, and watched an informative and sometimes humorous 78-minute presentation by Steve announcing "Second Generation" iTunes for Mac and now Windows (exactly like the Mac version, features & look-and-feel), with 400,000 songs on-line (500,000 soon), 5,000 audio books, expanded information for artists, gift certificates, an "allowance" feature, and artists' favorite playlists. Apple is selling 600,000+ songs a month, and has a goal of selling 100 million songs by April, 2004, which is the iTMS' first anniversary. The iTMS has a 70% market share among all on-line music services. To reach the 100 million song goal, Apple and Pepsi will kick off a 100 million-song-giveaway at the Super Bowl-- just check under the cap of 300 million Pepsi bottles! Apple also announced an alliance with AOL that allows their 25 million subscribers to access iTMS and to pay with their existing AOL credit card account. Steve also announced a voice recorder and media reader for the iPod. Steve did an iChatAV with musicians Bono (Dublin, Ireland), Dr. Dre (Los Angeles) and Mick Jagger (London). Singer Sarah McLachlan closed out the presentation by singing two songs live on-stage. Best parts: Johnny Cash music intro, "Hell Froze Over" posters given to the crowd, Steve kissing the iSight camera after Bono said he'd come to "kiss the corporate ass," the close-up of Steve's New Balance sneaker tapping to iTunes music, Bono calling Steve the "Dali Lama of integration," Jagger joking that his old music was on "wax cylinders," and Steve recognizing the iTunes team and their, "families, spouses, boyfriends, girlfriends, and partners that let us do this thing we love so much." 10-15-2003 Apple announced that its Legacy Village (Ohio) and University Town Center (San Diego) stores will open on October 24th. The former will open at 10 a.m. on Friday, while the latter will open at 8 p.m. the same day, at the same time other stores are celebrating the release of OS X 10.3 (Panther). Apple's retail stores posted their first-ever profit: $1 million for the 3rd quarter of 2003. During a conference call, chief financial officer Fred Anderson also said total store traffic during the quarter was 4.3 million visitors, that the Tokyo (Ginza) store will be open by year's end, that 73 stores will be open by Thanksgiving, and that the North Michigan Avenue (Chicago) store is the most-visited retail store, with 375,000 visitors during the past quarter. Read the full financial figures and conference call remarks. By the way, I have no idea how Apple calculates or counts the number of visitors to its stores. There is no visible technology in the stores for counting persons who enter, although such technology exists. Counting the number of paying customers would be inaccurate. Estimates would be just plain wrong. What's the answer? Let me know... [it's ShopperTrak] 10-13-2003 Apple will broadcast its Thursday music event in San Francisco (iTunes Music Store for Windows?) via satellite to selected stores for public viewing. I just hope your store has been selected! You may know that Apple has a "pilot" sales agreement with Best Buy Co. to sell iPods and, more recently, iMac computers. A permanent agreement is probably contingent on Best Buy reaching some sales goal. You may not know that , "Apple products are not available in Emeryville, CA; Joliet, IL; Bolingbrook, IL; Tracy, CA; Stockton, CA," according to a recent newspaper flyer. However, you can purchase these two Apple products at Best Buy's on-line store. It might appear the policy is related to competing with Apple's own retail stores--Emeryville's Best Buy store is less than 5,000 feet away from Apple's retail store. But there are no Apple stores in Tracy or Stockton, and the Illinois Best Buy stores are no closer than 12 miles to an Apple store. Yes, I'm awaiting news this week, when Apple reports its latest quarterly financial results. Check back later this week for a full analysis of the retail stores' contribution to the bottom line. Glen Fleishman writes in the Seattle Times (link inactive) about the latest University Village Apple store. I've posted Rant #3, a continuation of the music download issues, and have included a comparison chart. 10-10-2003 I've received more specific information about upcoming Apple store grand openings: the Washington Square (Ore.) store will open Nov. 7th, and four more stores will open by the Friday after Thanksgiving (Nov. 28th). Likely candidates for those four stores are: Legacy Village (Ohio), Washington Square (Ore.), Village at Corte Madera (Calif.), The Promenade at Sangemore (NJ), La Encantada (Ariz.), Aventura Mall (Fla.) and University Town Center (Calif.). Check my official store list for more details. 10-8-2003 The release of Panther (OS X 10.3) is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Friday, Ocdtober 24th. Apple retail stores will hold an 8 p.m. to midnight event to celebrate the launch and sell copies of the new operating system. By the way, Apple is officially calling the release "Mac OS v10.3 Panther." Apple will host two bands at its SoHo and The Promenade (Santa Monica, Calif.) retail stores on Oct. 15th, to kick off a new tour for the two bands. The band Thursday will appear at SoHo, and the band Thrice will appear at The Promenade, both at 7 p.m. local time. 10-4-2003 The rumor I reported earlier is coming true: Apple will be swapping out wood floors for stone floors because of warping, misalingment and increased maintennance. The Apple store in the Mall of America (Minn., #4) will be closed from Oct. 6th to Nov. 11th, and the Tysons Corner (Virg., #1) store will be closed from Oct. 13th to Nov. 17th for floor replacement. "During this time, we'll be making a few improvements, including a larger theater, to make your Apple Store experience better than ever," a store notice at the Mall of America says. I've heard the Palo Alto (Calif., #9) store will also close during October for a flooring change, and I expect other older stores to make the change-out, too. On another note, apparently store managers head to Cupertino around Oct. 24th for a routine, pre-holiday sales season meeting. 10-2-2003 Thanks to Keith Finch, who has sent two photos of the future Ginza (Japan) Apple store location, which now sports giant iPod posters around its lower floors. The rest of the building is covered in plastic-type sheeting, so it's impossible to see exactly what the building will look like, although earlier photos show a Burlingame-like stone exterior. Check my Ginza store page for the photos and more information. 9-23-2003 The University Village (Seattle) Apple store opened at 6 p.m. today, and Mary Ann was first-in-line for the grand opening at 7 a.m.! They're holding an after-opening party on Saturday, giving away one 10 Gb iPod for each point the Washington Huskies football team scores in its game against Stanford University. [Washington scored 28 points vs. Stanford's 17 points] 9-22-2003 The Burlingame music video is finished! It's a l-o-n-g 12 minutes, but includes the evening, overnight and morning activities. The SoHo Apple store has schedule a Studio Training Series starting Nov. 1st, billed as being "hands-on," and focusing on digital movie making and photography. I've added some additional photo links to our page on the Ginza (Japan) Apple store. 9-19-2003 Aw, shucks! Fortune magazine tallied the 400 richest people in the world: tied for 78th place with fortunes worth $US2.3 billion each are Steve Jobs, 48, fashion designer Ralph Lauren, 64, and CNN founder Ted Turner, 64. You-know-who was in first place with $46 billion. Apple has cranked up their School Nights at the Apple Store promotion, which allows local principals and teachers to reserve a night to showcase their students Macintosh computer work. Apple has posted an information page, and on-line sign-up form. Also check the videos and photos from last year. 9-16-2003 Naturally, the retail stores are "ground zero" for the new Powerbook models, which have taken on the design of the iBooks (hinge, side-located ports), and the keyboard of the 17-inch model (size, color and backlit). The specs have been upped to include Firewire 800, USB 2.0, and Bluetooth. I've confirmed that the Corte Madera store construction work continues: as of today, DPR Construction is working on the interior of the building. There are no contents, but rather the empty space, with the storefront still covered with generic-colored plywood. It's certainly possible that this store will be finished by Thanksgiving, a milestone Apple has given for opening 7 additional stores. I've uncovered an excellent case study on Apple's retail strategy, written by a Northwestern (Ill.) University professor. It includes some "Q & A" material that's particularly enlightening. Download in Acrobat (pdf, 3.6 Mb) format. Houston Chronicle: The newspaper declared Apple's Galleria retail store "the coolest" store in the region, as part of a special "Ultimate Houston" section in last Sunday's edition. They liked that you could wander in to the store, surf the Web or listen to music, without being bothered by salespersons. Check their QTVR of the storie's interior. 9-14-2003 Via a tipster: The Apple Jobs page has posted the usual list of openings for a retail store in Mission Viejo (Calif.), which is inland between Los Angeles and San Diego. The likely location: the "super regional" Shops at Mission Viejo mall, located in the southern part of the city along Interstate 5. The center, owned by the Simon Property Group, features a dancing fountain, the Kaleidoscope entertainment center, and 140 stores that include the usual cast of businesses that adjoin other Apple stores. The center was beginning to fade, and was renovated and renamed in 1999 to boost attendance and sales. Download (pdf) some interesting demographics about the shopping mall. A recent visit to the Palo Alto store did not disclose any major visual problems with the wooden flooring, although it has lost it luster since the Oct. 2001 grand opening. Earlier rumors had Apple replacing the wooden flooring because of maintenance problems. The joint between ends of the floor boards does appear to have increased, attracting dirt, and the wood has lots of black scuff marks. But it's not clear if that's enough to cause a flooring swap-out. OK, we have a winner! Ken D. has posted a collection of very short, self-portrait videos from 23 different Apple stores! What's more, he made the 30-second movies using the stores' computers and video gear. It's a great way to compare the stores, and includes a background of SoHo's glass staircase--very impressive! 9-12-2003 Via Chicago Sun-Times: Columnist Andy Ihnakto says retailers are catering to geeks, and mentions the North Michigan Ave. Apple store as a place you can go to just hang out, enter your Web blog, surf or download your e-mail using the free Wi-Fi access. 9-11-2003 I visited the construction site of the future San Francisco Apple store! The original Sephora building has been demolished, and crews are now cleaning out the site prior to construction. I have photos... I have descriptions! 9-8-2003 Chris Barylick of "Inside Mac Games" took a recent trip to the SoHo (NYC) Apple store, and posted his impressions. Via The Inquirer: The San Francisco Apple store is taking shape, with logos added just this week. Apparently the store is being completely almost rebuilt. I'll be visiting shortly and posting photos. Here's a news story on the grand opening (link inactive) of the Short Pump Town Center (who thought of that!?), which included the grand opening of the Apple store there. Congrats to Jeff Rew and David Murr for being first in line at 7 a.m. (whoa! not overnight?) Oh, to dream of a day when everyone is using a Macintosh! Perhaps this classroom is a start! 9-5-2003 I've uncovered the exact location of the future Corte Madera (Calif.) Apple store: it's in the Village at Corte Madera shopping center, off Highway 101 in Marin County. The store is space #1516, is narrow (30 feet) but deep, and has the usual neighboring stores (Victoria's Secret, Gap, Banana Republic, Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, etc.). The construction permit was date Aug. 20th, so work has been underway for a couple of weeks. I have exclusive photos! 9-4-2003 A Mac enthusiast has posted photos of the Short Pump Town Center Apple store (Richmond, Virg.) grand opening, which occurred on the same day that the Center itself opened. The Apple store was reportedly the only one with a line in front of it! Via MacNN: the Charlotte (NC) Observer newspaper says a 4,000 square-foot Apple store will open in that city in March, 2004. Via MacObserver: Apple's chief financial officer Fred Anderson gave a technology conference presentation on Wednesday that included details on the company's Retail Segment: seven more stores will open before Thanksgiving, they'll spend $85 million on capital expenditures for the stores during fiscal '03, there are about 1,200 store employees, there's an average of 4,300 visitors to each store a week, that Apple would not open as many stores as Gateway (170), that Apple Sales Consultants in CompUSA (etc.) stores receive the same training as Apple retail store employees. He noted that stores with Apple Sales Consultants had experienced "substantial" Macintosh revenue growth. He reiterated that Apple's retail stores were meant to convert Windows users to Macintosh. Anderson summed up, "We couldn't be happier" with the stores' Anderson displayed a map of the current Apple retail stores. On the map, note the orange and yellow-shaded areas, which seem to represent population centers-- and potential future store sites! By the way, Anderson said Apple has sold 46 million Macs since 1984, and the company believes that about one-half of those are still in operation. He estimated that 16 million users are using pre-OS X versions of the operating system. 9-3-2003 Mac News Network reports that Roxio will host launch events for its Toast 6 product at various Apple retail stores, using the "Don't Burn It. Toast It" slogan. The SoHo (NYC) store event is on Sept. 6th, and a limited edition T-shirt will be given to Toast 6 purchasers. A similar event will be held in LA on Sept. 13th. 8-31-2003 The G5 desktops have finally arrived at the Bay Area Apple stores. I examined one at Bay Street and found its design to be remarkable. The G4s are completely gone from the display, so you can't tell that the G5s are much larger. There are absolutely no visible bolts, screws or other attachment devices (just four Torx screws on the non-visible bottom), the fit-and-finish is perfect (the side door seam is straighter than a Rolls-Royce), and the metal finish is superb (smooth to the touch, no visible blemishes, and the Apple logo blends right in). You can see two fans rotating slowly behind the front grill holes--it makes for a mesmerizing pasttime! The light gray, plastic optical drive door opens in a new way: it drops downward within the enclosure, instead of flipping outward from the top. It provides another unique Apple design touch to a pretty ordinary--and predictable--computer function. And, yes, the computer I examined had only 256k of memory running OS 10.2.7. I note that Steve Jobs will be flying his Gulfstream V personal jet (Apple gave him the jet in 2000, and even paid the income taxes for its value, perhaps $60+ million total) non-stop to Paris for Apple Expo. I'm guessing this signals at least one major hardware announcement. Mark Tuesday, Sept. 16th on your calendar, and set your watch to 4 a.m. on the east coast, or 1 a.m. on the west coast for Jobs' keynote address. If you're interested in the personal side of Steven Paul Jobs (yes, that's his full name), a Web site has posted his Tarot card readings, numerology, etc. Can this video be real? Steve Jobs has taped a video "thank you" to the people who camp out overnight at an Apple store! 8-30-2003 A new commercial has been appearing on the Web...about the experience of camping out in front of an Apple store! Check this new version of a MasterCard classic. 8-29-2003 After the site was mentioned by the Macintouch Web site, the number of visitors to the site has skyrocketed, including other overnighters and first-in-liners, and Apple employees. Thanks for all the feedback on the site and additional information that you've provided-- I've added it to the various pages. Yikes! The G5s are barely rolling out the door and someone is selling two "rare" holographic posters of the G5 on eBay. The seller must have grabbed it from an Apple store and rushed home to post it on the auction site. At this moment, there are 10 bids on one poster, and 15 on the other, with the top bid at $107.50! Hey, save your money and buy the real thing! 8-26-2003 What's the big deal with Macintosh computers? I've tried to answer this common question, which is pretty simply, really. 8-25-2003 Apple announced the grand opening of the Short Pump Town Center retail store in Richmond (Virg.). 8-19-2003 Mac News Network reports on a new Richmond (Virg.) area store, and posted a photo of the store under construction--it's definitely strange, the front is blue-colored, has a backlit Apple logo, and has a sign with a "May 1" date on it. This doesn't look like a typical Apple retail store construction site, with black covering, etc. I can only assume that the blue coloring is from a protective, plastic film over the stainless steel facade. Also check this on-line column by Scott Kelby, who discusses the passion factor for both Apple Computer and Krispy Kreme donuts. 8-17-2003 The ThinkSecret Web site has posted a presentation that Apple allegedly gave at one of its retail stores, outlining the future direction of its retail operations. Included in the goals were plans to increase the business-related and service offerings and sales from retail stores. 8-16-2003 I just ran across this report from Mac Observer quoting an financial analyst saying that Apple would not be adverse to closing unprofitable stores. Apple documents Mac Observer reviewed said the stores should be profitable overall by the end of this year. 8-15-2003 I've posted a substantial amount of information about Apple's Retail segment (as they call it) from the latest financial report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Most of the 85-page report is tedious reading, but I've pulled out the interesting parts and added some explanations. 8-13-2003 Check Derrick Story's... well, story about how he tried to exchange a dead laptop battery under warranty at the Bay Street store. A Mac Specialist said, "Let me go grab a new one out of stock." But read what happened then. Oh, his wish for an Apple store "north of the Golden Gate bridge" may come true! 8-12-2003 While on business, I visited the Indianapolis Apple store, in the Keystone at the Crossing shopping center on the far north side of the city, among familiar neighboring stores. The store was a surprise: it's located at the end of the mall, where Pottery Barn is still under construction. It's also a very narrow store--just 30 feet wide, although it's almost 75 feet deep. The store has a strange front: one panel of brownish masonry blocks, then the traditional black panel with a backlit, white Apple logo, then door, and then a narrow window. The long side of the store is that same masonry, with two black, logo'd panels. The store is near an exterior door, and does have one of those black panels-with-logo on the outside of the mall building to increase visibility. But it's a departure from other stores that have key locations inside the mall, and which are up to 45 feet (or more) wide. Somehow, this store seems small, distant and hard-to-find. P.S.--The store has the white, Corian, battleship-style display tables. 8-10-2003 I would love to have one of the bright orange "Camp" shirts that Apple store employee wear-- where can I get one?! The Apple SoHo store has posted some photos of their camp. Note that the photos are on the SoHo store's .mac homepage photo album-- other stores don't seem to have such sites. Also check the top menu-- Congressional staffers visit?! Yeow! I understand that several sports celebs have visited the Palo Alto and Bay Street stores. 8-6-2003 The music industry just doesn't get it. Fortunately, Steve Jobs and Apple did get it when they negotiated the rights to 300,000 songs and posted them on the iTune Music Store. Here's one of my rants on the subject. 8-4-2003 Apple has posted a gallery of photos from the Burlingame store opening, and it includes only one member of the ASUG...me! There is one very small rotating photo on Apple's "Retail" page that shows some people, but we had to blow up the photo into pixels to make any sense of it. Here is the small and very large versions! 8-2-2003 We continue to scout the location of the upcoming Corte Madera store. We are certain the store will be in the Village at Corte Madera, since the mall developer owns several other sites used by Apple, and the mix of stores is virtually identical to those at other Apple store locations. Anyone knowing more information on the exact location within the mall, or the date it might open, drop us a line at tip@ifoAppleStore.com. 7-11-2003 The Promenade Apple store in Santa Monica opened, and this music video was posted on-line. 7-26-2003 The Burlingame store is finally open! The first Overnighter (Devin) arrived at 7:30 a.m. on Friday, and was quickly joined by Thomas and Matt. About 14 persons spent the quiet night in front of the store. We have a diary, photos, and a timelapse video of the event. 6-13-2003 We helped open the Walnut Creek store with an overnight event that started at 9 a.m. on Friday when Thomas arrived! Check the full coverage, including photos, a music video and a diary of the event. 11-21-2002 The Bay Street Apple Store is on a private street in Emeryville (Calif.), which made any overnight event impossible. But that didn't stop a dedicated group from arriving the day before (3 p.m.), and then returning early in the morning (5 a.m.) to resume their #1 positions. Check the photos and music video. |
Mon dieu! I can confirm that the Champs Elysées in Paris is the site for a future Apple store. Sr. vice-president for retail Ron Johnson told a Sun-Times reporter (below) that, "There are five key places in the world we need to be," and that North Michigan Avenue (Chicago) is one of those locations. During the Ginza (Tokyo) press event, he mentioned three locations as being "great": Fifth Avenue in New York City, Regent Street in London, and on the Champs Elysées in Paris. Since I already know about Fifth Avenue (NY), Regent Street (London) and Ginza (Tokyo), that leaves the Champs Elysées location as the fifth location. I've now added this Paris street to the official list of 
Apple chief financial officer Fred Anderson gave a presentation at a Lehman Brothers conference, and outlined the company's current position and market. Some of his remarks touched on the retail stores. His slides included an updated store 
The Ginza (Tokyo) Apple retail store will open at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 30th!! It's the first Apple store outside the United States. The 4-story building is at 5-12, Ginza 3-Chrome in central Tokyo, amidst the most noted retail district in the world. Apple will give away 2,500 special commemorative T-shirts for the occasion. Apple officially lists the building as four stories, but there is a 5th-floor Studio Training Center, which will host hands-on classes for prices of 11,000¥, 16,000¥ or 22,000¥. Check Apple's Web page on the store (
