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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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, [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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After the sun went down and the streets darkened in Boston (Mass.), there was at least one shining beacon still visible on Boylston Street recently–the future Apple store. The store is still under construction for a Spring grand opening, but we now know that the huge Apple logo has been hoisted into place, thanks to [...]

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A potential location for Apple’s future Charleston (SC) store has been pinpointed–301 King Street in the downtown section. A news story reports that Apple’s architects have visited the location, and have inquired of city building permit officials about what alterations they can make to the building. No lease has been signed yet, but Apple is apparently [...]

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The Web site for the MGM Grand at Foxwoods (Conn.) development briefly posted a Web page about the future Apple reseller there, including a background photo that was actually the Regent Street (London) store’s Genius Bar. The text of the page never used the word “reseller,” but rather mimicked Apple’s description of its own stores, saying [...]

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Apple’s retail store Web page seems prepared to post store-by-store availability for the new Macbook Air laptop. The page notes that, “The world’s thinnest notebook is coming.” It then adds, “MacBook Air will be available at Apple Retail Stores soon. Check back for the most up-to-date in-store availability.” Apple posted the availability of the iPhone for several [...]

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Building permits filed with the borough of Ville-Marie show that Apple’s future Saint-Catherine West (Montreal, QB) store will feature a two-story design, a glass staircase, and a storefront that will most likely mimic Chestnut Street (SF) and Fifth Avenue (NYC) : a white, interior-lit Apple logo suspended inside a glass façade. Construction prep has just [...]

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