Along the same lines, expect Apple to come up with a holiday season tagline for its stores, a holiday color for the T-shirts, and to post special holiday shopping hours for the store. Last year Apple installed a special gift selection application on store computers, to help buyers more easily decide what to buy. Employees asked customers if their purchase was a gift. If "yes," they gave the buyer a pre-printed slip that allowed the gift recipient to return or exchange their gift at an Apple store. Last year Apple stores hosted 150,000 on the day after Thanksgiving during a special iTunes event–presumably we can top that this year, even on a per-store basis!
Yes, Apple is definitely mining its Web databases–including your shopping cart activity! A tipster tells me that he logged on to Apple’s on-line store, and then configured a build-to-order iMac G5 to determine specific pricing, but did not make a purchase. Within days he was telephoned by someone representing Apple, asking if he had any questions about the iMac G5–a call and question apparently triggered by his earlier pricing expedition at the Apple Web store.
The ThinkSecret Web site says Apple is taking a more aggressive approach to mining potential customers from its registration database, including those who might already be customers of authorized resellers.
The ifoAppleStore Forum has now on-line and available for registration and posting of all topics related to Apple’s retail stores. Check the announcement page for the Forum rules, and the join in the exchange of information and ideas!
Thanks to Steven for the photos of the future Jordan Creek (Iowa) retail store, showing the exterior partially-covered storefront, and the nearly-finished interior.
The grand opening T-shirt collectors are at it again! A Stanford (N. Calif.) mini-store commemorative T-shirt just set a new record U.S. price [link expired] of $202.50 on eBay, a $2 increase from the previous record of $200.50 for Southpoint (NC) and Chandler (Ariz.) store T-shirts during August. The two collectors apparently have most older shirts, but are now definitely on the look-out for the newest stores that opened last weekend. If you have any of the five remaining mini-store T-shirts, get’em posted!
Feeling more than generous, I called a flower shop nearest the Regent Street (London) store to order up a congratulatory arrangement of Birds of Paradise, Orchids and Anthurim for the grand opening next month. Boom! No can do! Seems like every orchid within 10 miles is already reserved for a very specific date: November 20th. Apparently the British construction industry is just as energetic as here in America, and has made record progress on the interior of the historic building, allowing Apple to meet its original grand opening date for the Regent Street store.
In fact, the scaffolding is coming down for the final time between the arches of the Regent Street store building, leaving only the traditional black plywood barrier at street level. As revealed earlier, the Ted Baker store will occupy the retail space to the left of the Apple store, and now a sign declares that a LaCoste store will open in "Autumn 2004" to the right of Apple’s store.
Thanks to Brian for the photos of the Christiana (Del.) store grand opening, and for how Megan and Ana were first-in-line at 3:45 a.m.! Ana bought her very first Macintosh computer, a 20-inch iMac G5 model. Brian says a teacher from Pennsylvania nudged in front of him, thereby making the very first purchase at the store.
Last weekend I made the transition from an ancient Powermac 7600 to a G5 desktop, and it was seamless. Here’s my tale, and a testament to Apple’s operating system and software.
Apple has posted a Retail Small/Medium-Size Business Coordinator job position on its Web site, to work out of the Cupertino headquarters, and who is, "Dedicated to fulfilling the Apple retail vision by increasing share of market through the retail small and medium business initiative." Check the list of administrative positions for the full job description.
Thanks to Michael for the link to the video of the Christiana (Del.) grand opening–it spots the first two women in line and also found the first person to make a purchase!
Some southern California Apple stores (OK, just one so far) has received a supply (in this case ‘two’) of 30-inch Cinema Displays. One will be…well, on display, and the other will be for sale.
It should be obvious that this Web site doesn’t carry any advertising, and there are no plans to ever do that. On the other hand, the "PayPal Donate" link down on the left side is active for anyone to show their appreciation of the information posted here.
I’ve posted a video of the Santa Rosa Plaza (N. Calif.) mini-store grand opening.