The Bethesda Row mini-store, Apple’s landmark 100th store, will open at 10 a.m. on Dec. 11th, with 500 commemorative T-shirts. Then stop by MacUpgrades after the grand opening and tell them you appreciate their Mac sales work all these years–Apple certainly hasn’t done so.

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The AppleInsider Web site is reporting mini-stores for the UK, in addition to the Birmingham, Kent and Manchester stores already announced or uncovered.

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Whoa! Just when I thought I’d heard the last of the word "flooring" for the mini-stores, now word comes that the epoxy finish just isn’t cutting it. From the activity at Apple’s flooring supplier, you’d think someone wants to replace the epoxy with wood at the mini-stores. Hey, what’s wrong with stainless steel?

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Am I the last person to find out that the retail store in downtown San Francisco is now called "Union Square?" It was apparently renamed from "San Francisco" to provide improved recognition of its location by the region’s shoppers. A map on the back of a new retail magazine (see below) has the store listed [...]

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I’ve edited the list of retail stores to conform with Apple’s definition of "high-profile" and "flagship" stores. For the record, there are seven high-profile stores, of which three are considered flagships. In general, the stores with glass staircases are high-profile, and of those, the SoHo, North Michigan Avenue and Union Square stores are considered flagships.

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Go by your local retail store and grab a copy of the tabloid-sized Holiday 2004 magazine, "The Apple Store," that includes an almost-too-cute article on, "A Day in the life of a Genius" that profiles Scott Gockerman at the SF/Union Square store. Sample entry: "9:57 a.m. Pop a breath mint in accordance with the "FBI"–the [...]

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On Apple’s Retail Web site, many of the individual store pages now have small photos of the front of the store. It’s part of a general revision of the store pages, which now include a calendar and event listings. Eventually all individual store pages will include a storefront photo.

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MacWorld UK points to a source who says that Apple is considering several other retail store locations, including in the cities of Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Oxford, Cambridge, Brighton and Southampton.

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Thanks to Jomy for the link to his on-line Keynote presentation on Apple’s financial figures, including the Retail segment. I reported on the 4th-quarter financials a few weeks back, but now Apple has released its full annual report (pdf), and I’ve summarized some additional information from it, including the encouraging news that Retail segment capital [...]

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The mini-stores are now reportedly stocking Powermacs and the full range of Cinema Displays, but the eMac is still a no-show at the smaller stores.

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I’ve posted some accounts of the Regent Street (London) retail store grand opening from others who were in the waiting line, and which provide more insights into the line cutting, and the construction/architecture of the store.

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Apple has posted an opening for a Desktop Support Specialist [link expired]that assists the HQ retail staff with hardware/software support.

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Business Week technology editor Alex Salkever is leaving his post, and has written an interesting column about his writing experiences, including receiving e-mail feedback from Steve Jobs.

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Let’s not apply at the same time…but Apple is advertising for a MacSpecialist [link expired] for its open-to-the-public, at-headquarters Company Store. The qualifications are the same as for a standard retail store, only you’d be eating lunch at the HQ cafeteria.

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