Apple is ramping up its international store openings, and will open 10 new stores outside the United States during 2007. That news and other tidbits were revealed by Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer during a Morgan Stanley technology conference Tuesday in San Francisco. He reiterated that Apple will open 35 to 40 new stores worldwide during fiscal 2007.
He told the attendees that he feels the retail store strategy is underappreciated by investors. “You’ll see us open up stores in additional countries in the not too distant future,” he said.
Oppenheimer hinted at upcoming changes at the retail stores when the Apple TV and iPhone debut. Both products will require space for display, and an increased level of sales explanation, purchase tasks and support. In his words, “I believe that Apple TV must be seen to be appreciate.” He said that Apple is “very happy” now with the experience that customers are getting in the stores. He added, “Ron (Johnson) will not compromise on the service level in the stores, and we’re keeping the payroll up, and we’re remodeling some of the early stores” to take advantage of new sales lay-outs.
Asked about any structural or behavioral limitations when planning international stores, Oppenheimer said there are fewer malls and a lower turn-over of good sites compared to the U.S. He also said that in international countries, Apple typically must deal with individual landlords, which makes the process more complex.
He verbalized what’s long been known about Apple’s selection of new store locations. “We continue to be very careful about real estate,” he said. “We’re very selective and we won’t pick a bad site.”
