All of Apple’s stores have .Mac accounts to facilitate demonstrations and training classes. Some of the stores have used the public .Mac home pages to post photos of employees and activities. I’ve assembled an assortment of photos into a movie that spotlights the Apple store family. Spot the celebrity!

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Apple has posted the intriguing position of Sr. Construction Finance Manager, based in Cupertino. The job description notes that Apple has “120+ stores worldwide and continues to expand.” The position is responsible for all financial budgeting and tracking aspects of store construction, retrofits and special projects. Also, “Partner with the VP of Construction and the [...]

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This site has always been about Apple’s retail stores, and not its people. The irony, of course, is that a retail operation is almost entirely about the people, and not the walls, floors and lights that help create a superior retail experience. I’ve generally let the Apple store personnel do their work without any probing [...]

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The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a story on the South Hills Village (Penn.) store grand opening, including in interview with Monte, who was first in line.

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Count on a Nov. 5th grand opening for the Gateway (Utah) retail store. [but later moved to Nov. 19th]

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Apple’s presentation before the Portland (Ore.) Historic Landmarks Commission for a new retail store has been re-scheduled to Oct. 10th. The appearance is part of the city’s land use review, which includes consideration of the design by the local neighborhood association and the Commission before permits are granted by the city. In this case, the [...]

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The issue of scratched and cracked iPod nano screens might be heating up, especially with a Web site hosted on .Mac by Matthew Peterson that forcefully makes the issue that it’s a materials-related problem. Peterson’s Web page (now inactive) includes a visit to the Somerset (Mich.) Apple store, and a brief conversation with a staffer [...]

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Thanks to Monte for the photos of the South Hills Village (Penn.) store grand opening, where he was first-in-line. And thanks to Casey for his collection of photos from the store event.

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The wedding dress store has abandoned the building at 437 N.W. 23rd Ave. in Portland (Ore.), and a local architect is scheduled to appear before the city’s Historic Landmarks Commission today for what’s known as a “design advice” presentation of Apple’s plans to demolish the structure and build a 2-story retail store. According to documents [...]

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The Carousel (NY) mini-store will be closed Nov. 7-11 so workers can take out the epoxy floor and replace it with stone and install a center display counter. It’s part of an on-going mini-store make-over. Apparently the Bridgewater (NJ) mini-store will not receive the same make-over, but rather move to a larger space in the [...]

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The building at 136 Fifth Avenue (NYC) is now sporting a “Retail Space Available” sign on the front, in seeming contradiction to Apple’s plans to demolish the building and construct a 2-story retail store there–the Flatiron store. The city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission considered Apple’s plans in August, but no word on if they denied the [...]

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The very second thing you notice about the iPod nano at Apple’s retail stores is the scratched plastic over the color screen (#1 is how small and neat it looks!). It certainly makes you wonder how it came to be so scratched up. Now the Cnet Web site say Apple’s discussion boards are filled with [...]

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The Legacy Village (Ohio) retail store is now among photos featured on Apple’s Retail Web page banner.

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Writer Vern Seward on the MacObserver Web site wonders if Apple is opening too many stores. He worries that, “that too many stores will weaken the mystique that currently surrounds Apple Stores.”

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Thanks to Ian for photos of the future Trafford Centre (UK) retail store, which is set in black plywood in the midst of some very elaborate, wood-themed architecture. It will be interesting to see how Apple’s standard stainless steel design fits in.

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The number of retail store job listings on Apple’s Web site has tapered off–does it mean a cut-back in Apple’s plans? I’ve analyzed the past store opening dates, and the construction time-lines to give you a better idea of where we are in the cycle of store grand openings.

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Thanks to Simon for the photo of the future Meadowhall (UK) retail store–it’s not the typical black-painted plywood!

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AppleInsider reports that Apple’s mini-store plans are being reconsidered, and earlier plans could be scaled back. You’ll recall that five mini-stores opened on Oct. 16, 2004, with talk about future stores in interesting locations.

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Those rumors of an official Apple store in Zurich (Switzerland) have now turned into firm news that DataQuest AG will open an Apple Centre at the former location of a Pizza Hut. However, locals are still holding onto hope.

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Thanks for Grant for the photos of the La Cantera (Tex.) grand opening, and to a tipster for these photos (right) A newspaper story on the mall’s grand opening included a mention of the Apple store.

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