A survey by a group of Apple’s upper-tier resellers found that sales were up more than 20 percent during 2007 for most of the group, and that the resellers are bullish about 2008 results. The annual survey of the 160-member Apple Specialist Marketing Co-Op (ASMC) discovered that 30 percent of those responding had sales up more then 30 percent during 2007. The survey covered 35 of the resellers, all saying their business will increase during 2008, and 70 percent that sales would be up by at least 20 percent. “Part of the growth is coming from the increased awareness and acceptance of the Apple brand in general,” said Kevin Langdon, executive director of the group and owner of Crywolf Computers (San Diego). “And part of it is coming from the very strong lineup of Apple products currently available.” He also credited the Specialists themselves, who is described as, “forward-looking, resilient entrepreneurs who care greatly about our Apple businesses.” Check the group’s Web site for a list of the group’s members.
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A study of shopper experiences by researchers at the Wharton School of Business (University of Pennsylvania) found that 58 percent of shoppers experienced at least one problem in any given shopping visit, and that younger shoppers reported the most problems. Of the the ten most-reported shopping problems, nine were related to sales associates, and just one to the store itself. The annual survey of 2,200 American shoppers by the pretigious business school tries to correlate factors that degrade the customer experience, and how they’re related to shopper loyalty–a major factor in Apple’s retail initiative. The 2007 survey found there was a direct link between problems and loyalty: 82 percent said they would definitely continue shopping at a problem-free store, but that dropped to 62 percent when the shopper encountered a problem. The recommendation rate also dropped for a problem store, from 79 percent to 53%. The most-reported problem was a “not my department” attitude by sales associates. read more…
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Apple may be slow to move its retail stores beyond America’s southern border, but it seems to be beefing up its reseller operation in Mexico and beyond. The latest discovery is that contracts have been signed to locate an Apple reseller on the campus of Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico), inside the Student Center. The private university of 17,000 students was founded in 1943 by a business group and has branches in 33 other Mexico cities. It specializes in business, technology, finance and related fields, and offers a full range of degrees. The campus store will sell the entire range of Apple products, including iPods and Macs.
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Construction delays last year forced Apple to push back the grand opening of the Midsummer Place (UK) retail store. It was set for a late summer opening, then before Christmas, but mis-sized glass reportedly forced the company to skip the holiday season entirely. Now all the re-work is finished, and Apple will reportedly hold the grand opening on Saturday, March 1st.
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Construction on the first Australian Apple store is entering the final stages, and those who have seen the work progress on George Street (Sydney) say it will open around the first week of April. Right now the glass façade has been installed on the upper floors, but there is still scaffolding around the lower floors of the building. The store will occupy the ground and first floor inside an existing city center office building in the city, complete with the usual Apple store features: stone floor, wood display tables, stainless steel walls and glass staircase. The opening would be the first of at least five high-profile stores opening this year in the United States, Canada, China and Europe.
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Construction on the Mall of Louisiana (Baton Rouge) retail store is progressing quickly, with the interior virtually finished and workers installing the exterior stainless steel in the past few days. The store fills in a huge no-store hole along the Gulf Coast, and is on-track for a March grand opening. Check the photo after the break. read more…
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Apple has now posted a Web page that provides store-by-store availability for the new Macbook Air laptop. The page is updated at 9 p.m. each day and, like the former iPhone page, shows if each store has laptops in stock.
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Apple’s stores have been slowly creeping northward from San Diego, filling in the area between that city and the southern suburbs of Los Angeles. Residents in the inland area along Interstate 15 can now look forward to their own store at the North County (Escondido) mall, a huge 1.2 million square-foot complex that is due for a $100+ million renovation by developer Westfield Group. The store could open by year’s end.
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The rumors–and hopes–of an Apple store at the Del Monte Center in Monterey (Calif.) have been confirmed. The picturesque, bayside community is home to a community college, the Defense Language Institute and the Naval Postgraduate School, providing some well-paid, highly-educated customers for local businesses. The store will most likely occupy the former space Limited Express, which recently closed, and maybe even the former Lane Bryant store next door. The mall recently underwent a $20 million renovation that has attracted several other upscale retailers. The store could open by year’s end.
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There’s no region in the country more populous than the Dallas-Forth Worth (Tex.) Metroplex, but until now Apple’s four stores have favored Dallas residents on the east side. But now those in the west Metroplex have the promise of an Apple store with the revelation of a future store inside the tiny University Park Village shopping mall, near Interstate 30 on the city’s west side. The 37-store center is close to Texas Christian University and could open by September.
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Apple’s retail store operation is among six nominees for the Multi-Market Retailer of the Year award to be announced at the World Retail Congress in Barcelona this April. The honored company will be selected by a jury of the world’s most respected retailers and retail industry experts, a press release states, who will judge them for the development of their international network, including the strength of the brand in key territories, financial performance and strategic direction. “The overall award winner will epitomise best practice for a retailer operating internationally,” the group says. The other nominees are Carrefour, H&M, Ikea, Inditex and Tesco. The Congress runs April 9th through 11th, highlighting retail operations around the globe.
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The pending sale of the General Motors Building in Manhattan (NYC) for a record-setting price will not affect the Fifth Avenue retail store because of Apple’s long-term lease on the property. Facing a loan in default of almost $7 billion, real estate tycoon Harry Macklowe reluctantly put the GM Building up for sale earlier this year to raise capital. However, Apple reportedly signed a 20-year lease on its retail space in 2005, locking in lease payments and tenant conditions regardless of who owns the building. Several notables have owned the building in the past, including Donald Trump, each selling the building for a profit. Most recently, Macklowe purchased the building in 2003 for $1.4 billion, a record at the time for a U.S. office building. In February, 2007 he offered the GM Building as collateral on a loan to purchase seven other New York City office buildings. That loan has now gone into default, forcing the current sale. Macklow has narrowed the sale to two bidders, and hopes to receive a final bid of $3.4 billion.
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A huge portion of the American South has been a no-store zone from the beginning of the retail initiative, including Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Recently stores have been identified to cover the former two states, and now Mississippi will receive its first store at the Renaissance at Colony Park mall in Jackson. This new, outdoor, lifestyle center is about 10 miles north of downtown along Interstate 55 and is scheduled to open in March, but the store will open later in the year. The exact location of the store within the mall is still unknown.
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A construction barricade has appeared within the Forum Shops at Ceasar’s Palace (Las Vegas) along the Strip, confirming Apple’s arrival for “Summer 2008,” according to the sign. The light-colored barricade includes an unusual all-upper-case “APPLE,” and is located in the far western area of the meandering mall, near the Express men’s store and aquarium. It will be the third store in Las Vegas. Thanks to the SecureMac.com Web site for this photo of the space. [About a week later, the wording was painted over.]
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Apple’s international retail operation looks to be very busy this year, with four European locations just confirmed by job listings. Apple executives have previously said that a larger percentage of this year’s 30 to 40 store openings will be in other countries. In fact, store locations have been identified in eight countries, including Australia and China. The latest stores have been confirmed for Munich (Germany), Zurich (Switzerland) and Geneva (Switzerland). Both the Munich and Zurich store locations have been pinpointed, but the location of the Geneva store is still unknown.
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