In the face of economic uncertainty, Americans are saving more and spending less, which may explain why Apple is testing out an extension of the EZ Pay handheld computers to handle cash transactions. Although some stores still have front-located point-of-sale cash drawers, most stores have a single drawer at the Genius Bar. According to customers [...]

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While the first Apple store planned for Paris may be a window-less underground cavern, a second location now under construction near the city’s Opera House will be among the chain’s most impressive. The location at 12, Rue Halévy features a light-filled, soaring interior space tucked behind arched windows, all facing onto an unusually large intersection that [...]

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Apple has updated its procedures for handling certain iPhone hardware problems, and will now for the first time the Genius Bar staff will perform display screen replacements at its retail stores. Previously, iPhones and iPods have been subject to a swap-out policy: if the device is under warranty or otherwise eligible, it’s immediately replaced with [...]

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Among the 175 most-photographed landmarks on earth, Apple’s Fifth Avenue (NYC) store has risen to fame the quickest, beating out Wrigley Field (Chicago), Buckingham Palace (London) and even the White House (DC). According to researchers from Cornell University who studied over 33.3 million Flickr photographs, the iconic glass cube of the Fifth Avenue store was the [...]

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The Apple retail regional director who sold off nine grand opening T-shirts for $155 last month has now turned his back entirely on the company. According to Web sources, Michael Forrest has joined Microsoft Corp. as its new Director of Stores. Forrest had worked for Apple since August 2002 before he suddenly—and perhaps involuntarily—left the [...]

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A new panoramic photo of the Carousel de Louvre (Paris) store provides additional insight into the odd shape and large size of the future store. Stitched together from three photos, the panorama shows a large, C-shaped entrance area, turning into a rectangular area that is 100 feet deep and 30 feet high. Beyond the entrance, [...]

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A black-painted construction barricade has appeared on the second level of the Churchill Square shopping mall in Brighton (UK), confirming earlier reports of a future store there. According to photos, the store will be located between Build A Bear and River Island in the central part of the mall. The store could open by Fall.
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Apple is closing several additional stores for a round of renovations, part of an on-going project to update very old stores to the latest architecture, and to refresh newer stores. The Washington Square (Ore.) will close on April 27th for a 12-day reconstruction, re-opening on May 9th. The store is a hybrid, with old-style glass [...]

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Despite the economic downturn and in the face of investor anxiety, Apple turned in its best non-holiday quarter in history, posting revenues of $8.16 billion and generating a profit of $1.21 billion. Retail store results fell in the middle of its historic non-holiday range: sales were $1.47 billion, compared to $1.451 billion for the same quarter [...]

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Say good-bye to the front-located check-out counter. Wave so-long to the black-painted shelving. And bid “Adios” to the glass partitions at the Cambridgeside (Mass.) retail store, as it closes on May 10th for a renovation that will bring it in-line with the chain’s current interior design. The store was #29 when it opened in December [...]

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If you’re a third-party product developer for Apple products, there is no better shelf space than Apple’s own stores. But the company is very selective about which products receive a coveted spot in the stores. That is why it’s significant that Apple is now selling the Optoma Pico Projector at its high-profile stores and those [...]

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Apple will open a high-profile store on the ground floor of the future Philippine Stock Exchange high-rise office buildiing in Manila suburb, according to the Web site of an engineering company hired to perform sustainability studies for the high-rise project. According to the CB Engineers Web site, the Apple store will be the anchor tenant [...]

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Residents of the Salt Lake City (Utah) region may feel the pangs of withdrawl starting May 10th when The Gateway retail store closes for three weeks to complete a renovation. The closure will mean the closest retail store is 423 miles away in Las Vegas (Nev.), or over six hours by vehicle. Apple customers could [...]

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Construction on the future Scottsdale Quarter Apple store is well underway, but because of its conspicuous location and three visible sides, all the work is taking place behind black netting to keep the stainless steel invisible. A tipster’s photos show 30-foot high scaffolding around the three sides that support work platforms. Behind the black netting [...]

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Apple’s retail team has located the next Montreal-region retail store perfectly—at the Pointe Claire mall, nearly equidistant from the two existing stores so it perfectly improve coverage for the 3.6 million residents of the region. The two-level indoor mall is located along the Trans-Canada Highway in the suburbs southwest of city center, and about three miles [...]

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