How Common Will Apple Stores Become?

There are two indications of Apple’s retail store presence in the United States. A June 2004 Merrill Lynch financial report stated that one-half of the U.S. population lives within 15 minutes of an Apple store. In early 2004 Apple itself said that 90% of the country’s population was with a 45-minute drive of an Apple retail store. Back then in mid-2004, Apple had about 80 stores open. But to put Apple’s presence in perspective, take a look at electronics retailer Radio Shack. They have 7,000 retail stores scattered across the U.S., and claim that a store is, “within five minutes of where 94 percent of all Americans either live or work.” That certainly makes me wonder how many more stores Apple would have to open in order to significantly increase either the percent coverage or the driving time to an Apple store.