Apple will open a fourth retail store in the Phoenix area, this time plunking down a store northwest of downtown at the Arrowhead Towne Center mall along Highway 101 in Glendale. The 1.1. million square-foot mall is operated by Macerich, one of Apple’s usual developers, and was renovated in 2004 to become a super-regional shopping center. The store is about 20 miles from the existing Biltmore store, centrally located in Phoenix. The store could open by this October.
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
I am THRILLED! We have a very large Mac group in the West Valley. Now we won’t have to drive all the way into downtown Phoenix.
We can save gas and still have our Apple fixes. 20 minute drive instead of 50 or 60 minutes. Thank you Apple!!!!!!!
Finally! No more 60 minute trips to the Chandler Mall or construction/traffic battles to Biltmore.
This is great news!
Oh brother, now the westsiders get macs too!? I can see getting the losers, i.e. Cardinals, but Macs are too good for the west side.
What will this do to the independent Mac/iPod store across the street from Arrowhead Towne Center?
Carolyn and others,
Why does Apple need to open a store, across the street from an independent Apple Dealer (MacMedia) and why do you need to drive to the Biltmore or Chandler, when these guys have everything you need?
Apple does not care about the independent dealer. They make their retail location decisions based strictly on what is good for Apple retail. And why should the average customer make an extra trip from the mall to the lower rent district that the independents must use because of the low markups, especially when Apple has inventory and the independents may not. I was working at an Apple specialist when the shuffle came out. Despite being ordered ASAP, the company store received seven shipments before the independent had any. The initial demand was past. Customers learn to not waste their time shopping where there is no inventory.
Independents can not compete with Apple. They must be away from Apple retail, or find other niches. They can still do onsite setup up, training or networking. They can service business that need personnel connections. There are package sales including products that Apple does not handle, such as inexpensive monitors to go with Mac minis. There is repair, especially for items beyond three years that no computer manufacturer cares about any more.
We once did a quote for one computer setup for a business customer. They had purchased three similar models before. We took off a few dollars without being asked as a discount to thank the customer for the business. However, the customer had checked the price on line with Apple. A business rep with Apple called unsolicited and under cut our price. The customer, our regular customer who also had onsite work done, did not even bother to let us match the new quote.
But even when it is not true there is the perception that if you buy an Apple product you should buy it from Apple.
I hope that MacMedia has a good niche market. But the simple truth is that more average customers in the area will know the location of the Apple store more than that of MacMedia within one week of the opening.
Everyone knows that the brains and the REAL money are on the West side of Phoenix