A trademark application on the words "Genius Bar" that Apple filed back in mid-2001 is only now being considered by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. For some reason the original application was never pursued by Apple, and was reclassified by the PTO as "abandoned." Last summer the application was reinstated, but a month later [...]

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The Osaka (Japan) Apple retail store on Midousuji street remains concealed in construction wrapping, exactly like the Ginza store, but a huge iPod poster still gives away its location. Apparently it will be officially known as Apple Store Shinsaibashi rather than "Osaka." Midousuji is the wide main street of the Shinsaibashi shopping district, is an [...]

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Surfing the Internet with my Powerbook via the Cafe Olé’s free Wi-Fi access point in Philadelphia , I pondered the inscription on the Liberty Bell nearby. "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof," the inscription reads, perhaps referring to independence from England back in the colonial days. Or perhaps it referred [...]

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I’ve posted some information about planograms, those diagrams that Apple and other retailers use to document the location of all the products in their stores.

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Thanks to the alert Apple watcher who says the iPod Mini flashing light window display were custom created by Element Labs, using their VERSA tube technology. In typical Apple fashion, the concept was developed in-house, and the design team then created a video of exactly how they wanted the system to operate and look, including [...]

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Thanks to Graham for interpreting the mosaic tilework over the arches of the future Regent Street retail store: it apparently depicts lion symbols of both Britain and Venice (Italy). From the photos, you can see the Lion of St. Mark over the right arches, which is a symbol of Venice, but can only barely see [...]

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Thanks to Nathan for complete photo coverage of the future Stoneridge (N. Calif.) retail store.

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I’ve updated the hiring advice with information about taking your resumé directly to the stores, and arranging an interview with the store manager, who has hiring authority. Apple’s Web site is not the only way to begin the application process, apparently.

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I continue to wonder what the employee turn-over rate is for Apple stores? Executives have said it’s among the lowest in the retail industry, but since retail turn-over traditionally is 50% or higher, that’s not saying much. There are 162 specific job openings right now at retail stores, or roughly 10% of the total retail [...]

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Loss Control Prevention Office positions have appeared for the San Francisco, The Grove, 3rd Street Promenade, and Colorado Blvd. retail stores–all in California.

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It pays to arrive early and stay late at an Apple store, to find out there are employee training sessions scheduled for existing employees from several stores. The multi-store meetings are apparently refreshers on sales procedures and techniques, and include role-playing activities to hone skills.

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AppleInsider reports that Apple switched software for its customer relationship management (CRM), moving to a Web-based application from PeopleSoft over the past year. In fact, I’ve learned Apple was previously using CRM by Vantive Software, which PeopleSoft purchased in 1999. and who then developed its own CRM software. PeopleSoft has been trying to migrate Vantive [...]

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Apple has posted a "Planogram Manager" job position on its Web site, responsible for developing diagrams that set out where everything goes in the store, based on sales and marketing programs, competitive analysis and other factors. Apple’s planograms show the location of every computer, literature rack, cable, and other product within the store, to insure [...]

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Apple has posted a “Regional Sales Exec.” position on its “Jobs” Web page, but clicking on the entry leads to a page with no job description. The location is listed as “Bunnik,” in the Netherlands, where Apple has been posting European retail store support personnel.

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a href=”http://www.ifoapplestore.com/stores/regent_street_0725/index.htm”>Thanks to Wesley for the updated photos of the Regent Street store showing the scaffolding removed–the week after I visited the store! You can clearly see the area where the Apple retail store will occupy, and the intricate mosaic above the arches (right).

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Speaking of Regent Street, the application process for employees has been very competitive. Apple reportedly received over 4,000 applications to work at this first store east of the Atlantic Ocean, but there are only 120 openings. That means fewer than one out of every 33 applicants was hired.

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Thanks to Monte for the great photo collection of the Rosedale (Minn.) grand opening.

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A Iowa City Press-Democrat newspaper article discusses the upcoming Jordan Creek mall, where Apple will have a retail store.

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Thanks to Michael for photos and information about the Rosedale (Minn.) grand opening, the third store in the region. He says the first person arrived in-line at 6:30 a.m., and about 200 were waiting when the doors opened at 10 a.m. (but other say it was more like 800). He said there were about 100 [...]

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The flagship stores will debut iPod Geniuses, staffers outfitted in special T-shirts and armed with everything you could possibly want to know about iPods.

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