The “Hollywood Reporter” reveals that CBS has committed to a comedy pilot titled “Genius Bar” that, “explores the interactions between people who work at a place similar to the Genius Bar at the Apple stores and the cool, hip and beautiful employees at a nearby Abercrombie & Fitch-type store.” The series was pitched by former “That ’70s Show” writers Josh Sternin and Jeff Ventimilia, and all the networks conducted “spirited bidding” to obtain the rights, the trade journal said. No casting decisions have been announced. The Grove Apple store is about 750 feet from the CBS studios where many of the network’s shows are taped.
![]()
The just-opened Arndale (UK) store features identical,, re-designed interior that debuted last weekend at the Columbia (Md.) and Providence (RI) stores: stainless steel walls, center-located display tables, back-lit wall graphics, trio of bars, etc. However, this store dispenses with the front window glass of those stores, and has an entirely open entrance. Interestingly, Apple did not use the available second level like adjacent stores, as shown here. Nik posted the first photos of the grand opening showing the interior of the store. The World of Apple Web site has posted an even larger collection of photos showing the distinctive interior redesign, taken before the store was opened. And Nathan has also posted a collection of photos.
![]()
Three years after starting this Web site, I’ve learned more about Apple’s retail stores than I ever imagined. I’ve also learned more about Web hosting, servers and software than I ever thought I’d have to! The evolution of the site has been pretty dramatic, and today it takes one more small step by offering the ability for visitors to enter comments on news items. For the moment, I’ll be moderating all comments just to sweep out spam, lunatics and off-topics remarks. Also, only older items on the front page are available for comments–don’t go back and try to editorialize over the past three years! Otherwise, just like the IFO forum, go nuts. Update: I’ve also added a list of related posts to the single-view of news items. Just click on an item’s headline to display the single-view and related list.
![]()
It’s unlikely that Apple will ever open an official retail store in the Czech Republic, so it’s good to hear that reseller iStyle will open the country’s first Premium Apple Reseller store in Brno on October 3rd. Tipsters say a second iStyle store will open in Prague later this year. Before this, the country had an Apple Center in Prague and Brno, some mall booths, and this store-within-a-store at the Prague Bontonland megastore.
![]()
Boston’s Redevelopment Authority (BRA) will present Apple’s proposed Boylston Street architectural plans to the public during a meeting on Oct. 4 at Fisher College–about four blocks from the proposed store site. The neighborhood Back Bay Architectural Commission gave the early design its conditional approval, but the BRA has not yet voted on Apple’s application to demolish the existing building and rebuild a glass-front, three-story retail store. The plan has the backing of mayor Thomas Menino, which, in Boston, indicates that the store proposal will eventually be approved.
![]()
The Arndale (Manchester, UK) store grand opening will be this Saturday at 9 a.m. in space U23, with the usual commemorative T-shirts and a giveaway prize that includes a 20-inch iMac. It’s not clear if the store will occupy two levels, like other adjacent stores in this section of the mall. Several new stores opened last February after a $260 million redevelopment and expansion of the downtown mall.
![]()
Right now, the Regent Street (London) store stands as the architectural wonder among Apple’s 164 stores. The mosaic façade, dramatic arches and historic building lead visitors inside to a brightly-lit, two-story space with a swooping glass stairway. But the London store could have a companion, if speculation of Apple’s future Paris store location are correct: the SetteB.IT Web site has posted photos of a space at 64, boulevard Haussmann in the Opéra district of Paris that has equally-regal architecture. Tipsters identified Paris as a future location almost three years ago, and in May 2005 a tipster said Steve Jobs himself said a store would open in Paris during 2007.
![]()
One of the key attractions of Apple’s stores is the ability to go hands-on with the computers, which are hooked to the Internet. You can surf, send/receive e-mail, iChat or just test out all the applications that are loaded onto the display computers. In turn, the key to those capabilities is keeping the computers running smoothly and free of malicious software and documents that customers create. To perform this magic, Apple shuts down each computer at night, and then re-boots them all in the morning. The process is automated and takes just minutes to insure a clean copy of OS X and applications are available each day. But the secret to returning to a default condition is Deep Freeze by Faronics, which locks down the various system and administrative options of the computer, and to restore any changed parameters [info panel. It all means that the computers work…all the time.
![]()
Rumors of an official Apple store in Australia have been increasing lately, especially with the jobs postings for a Retail Sales Consultant, one of two that will be posted inside the downtown Sydney branch of the Myer Department Store. The position will work 29.5 hours, the job listing says, and work Thursday through Sunday. Perhaps they’re creating a future staff for rumored locations to open in Melbourne (Collins Street), Brisbane and Sydney during 2007. The spaces that Apple is reportedly scouting range from 2,150 square-feet to over 8,000 s.f., both street-level and in a mall.
![]()
The Los Gatos (N. Calif.) city council has been accused of playing politics for denying a permit request for the retail space at 25 N. Santa Cruz Ave. in that city. Politicians in the small, trendy town are admittedly picky about what types of retail stores open in the downtown, limiting them to products that can’t be purchased elsewhere. Earlier this year the planning commission and city council denied an application from clothing retailer American Apparel, sparking angry reaction that the politicians were anti-teen. The 192′x24′ space has been vacant for two years, but now city officials admit that Apple has voiced an interest in locating a store there, and the city may be agreeable. The planning commission meets next on Sept. 27th.
![]()
Monte arrived…at 9:15 a.m. the day before the grand opening, and joined about a dozen people who did an overnighter for the Village Pointe (Neb.) store. The management for the outdoor mall set up signs and stanchions welcoming the waiting line. A local high school teacher drummed up support for the opening among students, who formed part of the waiting line. Check flickr photos of the Village Pointe opening by Joel, Gody, Chris, and James. Chris also posted a video of the grand opening walk-in (are they yelling “U-S-A!”?. By the way, a photo of the Providence Mall (RI) store shows that it’s seemingly identical to the Village Pointe store. Surf this set of Providence photos by Cole, and this account by Rob.
![]()
Today’s grand opening of the Mall in Columbia store followed a tradition set by the Fifth Avenue opening–a wedding proposal! After the couple embraced, store manager “G” invited the group of 140 into the store to examine the new layout. The store does have a POS and a small, two-seat table for children, the latter completely invisible from the front of the store. The commemorative T-shirts were given away by 11:45 a.m., at about the same time that the waiting line ran out. Employees of other stores in the mall said that Steve Jobs and Sr. V-P Retail Ron Johnson were inside the store this week conducting a last walk-through of the new design. Jobs was reported to be pointing at various features within the store during his review–good features or bad? Check the new store layout in these photos of the grand opening, and watch the video of the proposal and more. Also check Darrin’s collection of photos and a video of the opening.
![]()
(Columbia, Md.) – At 4:45 a.m. I headed to the second level of the Pine garage near Macy’s to begin my wait for the grand opening of the Mall in Columbia store. Mall security told me the night before that they won’t open the building until 10 a.m., but that waiting outside the closest entrance to the store is permissible. There were 65 in line by 9 a.m., and security was enforcing as “no photos/video” rule. While I waited, I received messages from those at the Village Pointe store saying that several people spent the overnighter in tents, and that the line was getting longer.
![]()
I have posted the first exclusive photos of Apple Computer’s re-design of their retail stores–it’s a continuation of the Fifth Avenue NYC) store design which, in turn, is a magnification of the mini-stores. Strangely, it’s not what’s new at the store, but what’s not visible–there seems to be no POS counter (although later it was discovered at the back with a two-seat children’s section!). Otherwise it’s the familiar stainless steel walls, very bright, back-lit wall graphics, stone flooring, and large blond-wood display tables. The ceiling is the traditional panel-type, not the one-piece, stretched variety of the mini-stores. Along the walls, the product shelf has been reduced to mini-store proportions, and there are no glass partitions to emphasize product categories. iPods make up the front display table, and almost the entire right-side wall shelf. Laptops and iMacs make up tables #2 and #3. The left sidwall is all laptops and iMacs, and three Cinema Displays are at the back-left of the store. The Genius Bar sits at the very back, flanked on the sidewalls by the iPod and Studio bars.
![]()
The waiting line formed at 9:30 a.m. this morning for the Village Pointe (Neb.) retail store, and the stanchions are set up for the overnight crowd. Mall management says it’s permissible to be in-line on the property over-night, and the weather seems cooperative.
![]()
Loading ...