Apple’s Interest in Melbourne Confirmed

Sources in the retail and real estate industry have confirmed Apple’s interest in locating a retail store at the Chadstone Shopping Centre in Melbourne (Australia), but added that a lease has not yet been signed. Even with an immediate signing, the store would be several months from opening, the sources say, perhaps after the opening of the King Street store in Sydney that is scheduled for mid-summer. Authorized reseller Computers Now, which has a store at Chadstone, has been aware of Apple’s store project from the beginning, the sources say, and has been positioning itself to compete with the corporate store. To attract customers, the reseller will apparently emphasize service, products that Apple stores don’t carry, and its small-business adaptability. In fact, the reseller’s revenues have increased over the past two years, generating optimism among the management and staff that a new Apple store won’t jeopardize their survival.