With Apple opening one-half of its new retail stores in locations outside the United States this year, it’s rare for two stores to open in the U.S. in one weekend. Yet that’s what will happen Saturday when the Fayette Mall (Lexington, Ken.) and Polaris Fashion Place (Columbus, Ohio) stores both open at 10 a.m. The Kentucky store is the state’s second, and puts Apple in the midst of horse racing territory. The Polaris store is the city’s second, both on the northside and about 10 miles from each other. A third store on Walnut Street in Philadelphia was scheduled to open this Friday, but for some reason was delayed one week to July 30th.
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The Walnut Street staff has been temporarily placed into local stores – Suburban Square, King of Prussia, etc. Not sure what the delay could be; there is a Philadelphia cop sitting out front 24/7 to secure the store.
The only thing I could think of is that they might be waiting to open the store for the launch of the white iPhone 4. Steve said at the end of July, and the 30th is a Friday, typically when Apple launches products. Doesn’t seem like an impossible possibility.
It was a construction delay.
Rumor has it that the incompetent ceiling and stainless panel contractor is responsible for the delay. This like many of the previous stores they have done in the past two years will most likely be subpar in the quality of work. Pay special attention with the storefront and interior panels and their reveals. They’re all supposed to be constant 1/8” gaps, this store’s will be all over the place.
they took down the wooden barriers around the Walnut Street storefront like a week ago. you can see the glass facade, but it definitely looks like it still needs work (painters tape criss- crossing, plastic tarping, no Apple logo, dust everywhere). I’d say it probably won’t open til August.
Interesting that the “Map and Directions” page on Apple’s web site for the Polaris Fashion Place store incorrectly has the push-pin for the store in the strip mall across the street from the real “Polaris Fashion Place”.
Do you think that Apple was trying to make the new Covent Garden store number 300? With the delay in Philadelphia’s Walnut St, now it should be 300 while Covent Garden will be 299.
Everyone is telling me it was a genuine construction delay that pushed back the opening.
The Phila store has minimal steel on the exterior. The existing construction was cleaned up quite dramatically…
I just walked by the Center City Philadelphia (Monday, July 26, 12:30pm). The contractor was performing some minor cleanup on the exterior and the black curtain is up on the interior portion of glazing. I did see some 3rd party product stacked up on display tables. I also caught a glimpse of the side walls, which appeared finished. It would seem that this location will be open soon. Perhaps by Friday, July 30.
It looks as if it is ready to open.
Does Apple still give out t-shirts for store openings? It’s been a while since I’ve been to one.
Yes, they sure do. Usually 1,000 for “ordinary” sized stores.
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