The front window displays of retail stores have changed to match the "Cram and Jam" sales promotion of recently-worn T-shirts. The display features suspended plastic panels, into which several items are embedded: paperclips, rubber bands, erasers, pencils, a school book, and sports tickets. There are also clear plastic shelves displaying Apple’s laptop line-up. On the [...]

read more...

The space that some iMac models previously occupied in the "Home" section is now filled with foursome of iPods, including the new 4th-generation models that are easy to spot because of their gray control wheel. But supplies of new iPods, iPod Minis and Airport Express devices for sale are still slim.

read more...

The on-line Mainichi Daily News reports that "about 1,500" persons were in-line for the 10 a.m. opening of the Ginza (Tokyo) Apple store for the iPod Mini debut event, rivaling the attendance for the store’s Nov. 2003 grand opening (almost 1,500 in line). The story also said "tens of thousands" of iPod Minis have already [...]

read more...

A MacCentral article has some photos of the Ginza iPod Mini event, and says the first person in line arrived at 8:30 p.m. on Friday. According to this story, an iPod Mini costs 26,800 yen ($244.19) at the store, before a 5% "consumption" tax. That’s about the mid-point in the exchange rate for yen during [...]

read more...

Still another story on the Australian "ARN" Web site noted Apple’s estimate of 1,500 persons in line, and a remarks by former stateside manager Steve Cano, who is now the retail regional director for Japan.

read more...

Thanks to Deb for the collection of great photos of The Grove (S. Calif.) grand opening.

read more...

In his latest "Byte of the Apple" column, Business Week writer Alex Salkever says that China is gadget crazy, and Apple should push sales of its iPods within the country. Salkever writes, "How about an Apple flagship store in Beijing or Shanghai to whip up interest in the iPod line and other digital lifestyle accessories?" [...]

read more...

I can’t make it, but if you’re near the Ginza Apple store this Saturday, drop by for an iPod Mini debut event, featuring commemorative T-shirts for the first 1,000 persons.

read more...

More specific information is slowly arriving about the Regent Street (London) store, including that there will be four theaters inside the retail area, and another four classrooms for formal, fee-based training, similar to the Ginza store. Also, the space being leased by Apple includes a basement, but like the San Francisco store, it will not [...]

read more...

Individual jobs listings have now appeared on Apple’s Web site for the South Shore Mall (Mass.) future retail store. The location appeared on the Web site without any open positions over the weekend.

read more...

A job listing for a Mac Specialist at the San Francisco store has a modified job title–"Visual Coordinator" has been appended to the title. Apparently this is a new variation on Mac Specialist, who is responsible for the proper placement of items within the store, including product brochures and wall graphics.

read more...

The Rosedale Center (Minn.) retail store will open Saturday, July 24th at 10 a.m. It will be store #81. The store’s new Web page mentions the 1,000 grand opening T-shirts, and shows a small photo of a white shirt with blue Apple logo. Interestingly, the most recent grand opening at Barton Creek (Tex.) featured a [...]

read more...

Someone is auctioning a Palo Alto and Valley Fair grand opening T-shirt on eBay, both with a starting price of $99, and a "Buy It Now" price of $250. The same person is selling a grand opening T-shirt in a tube with no visible name for the same prices. The listing notes, "Financing available," with [...]

read more...

Thanks to the several tipsters who noted the eBay sale of an Ala Moana grand opening T-shirt for $162.50, setting another record high price. The collector "sfingold" was the winning bidder. It was item #5107232638.

read more...

Apple’s new Airport Express gadget is now in retail stores, paired with Monster cables.

read more...

A space at Century City (S. Calif.) now has a sign with an Apple logo and "Coming December 2004" painted on it.

read more...

The retail stores have a limited supply of the new 20" and 23" Cinema displays, but the larger 30" screen and the 2.5 GHz G5 desktops are still at least two weeks away. The computers and new displays are promoted with a new 8-panel fold-out brochure at the retail stores. Flipped one way it looks [...]

read more...

Thanks to Jason for pointing out the exact location of the future Stoneridge (N. Calif.) store–it will be to the left of the Hollister Store on the ground level, in the space formerly occupied by "A Bear Is Born." Renovation has begun on the space.

read more...

An on-line Roger Ebert review of the Will Smith movie "I, Robot" includes a notation that Ebert will be at the North Michigan Avenue Apple store this Wednesday at 6 p.m. to give a talk about, "making ultra-low-budget movies on the Macintosh."

read more...

The latest edition of individual store event brochures has a map and list of stores on the back. Well, several new locations are listed with the notation "Stores opening in 2004," including Danbury Fair Mall and Shadyside. It’s unusual for Apple to acknowledge new stores before the grand opening announcement about 10 days before the [...]

read more...