Iowa's only Apple Store to get massive $3M makeover, nearly triple in size

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Apple's lone retail outlet in Iowa, which has served Apple faithful for the past 12 years, is about to get a long-awaited makeover that promises to nearly triple floor space, and could introduce the "next-generation" Apple Store design language currently rolling out at international flagship locations.




According to The Des Moines Register, Apple's Jordan Creek Town Center store in West Des Moines, a modest mall outlet, will almost triple in size after the company finishes a massive five-month renovation.

Building permits seen by the publication carry construction costs valued at $3 million, with final estimated floor area coming in at about 7,160 square feet. To accommodate the renovation, Apple is taking over two neighboring storefronts formerly leased by Brookstone and Clarks shoes.

While the exact design and floor plan has yet to be revealed, it can be assumed that Apple will apply its "next-generation" Apple Store aesthetic to the refreshed space. Dreamed up by retail chief Angela Ahrendts and CDO Jony Ive, the new store interiors follow an open design philosophy, but come with the usual wooden product showroom tables joined by a Genius Bar and neatly arranged display cabinetry.

Apple most recently opened the doors to a "next-generation" Apple Store in Memphis, Tenn., which features a huge 37-foot TV display rumored to cost $1.5 million. Whether the upcoming Des Moines store will get a similarly gigantic installation is unclear.

The upcoming Iowa expansion will be Apple's first in the state since its lone Des Moines store opened in 2004. Apple plans to take up residence at a temporary location across from the construction area starting April 13. The renovation process is expected to take about five months, the report said.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 13
    gmgravytraingmgravytrain Posts: 882member
    It's funny how certain people like to claim Apple is getting long in the tooth and will soon be going out of business, but as near as I can tell it shows none of the signs of a company struggling or going out of business. It may have some temporary growth problems but I believe all companies go through that. What company has quarter after quarter, year after year growth forever? I was reminded that all the computer hardware companies that started when Apple did are long gone and yet there are people griping and criticizing how Apple has lost all innovation and such. . . . There's one thing that's never considered when valuing Apple and that's how many retail stores Apple has and they're increasing that number every year. That's one fact that Wall Street totally overlooks and I've never understood that. Those stores are an anchor for Apple customers and quite key to Apple's growing value. Wall Street picks and chooses what it considers relevant in value and yet Apple as a tech company is certainly unique when it comes to the number of retail stores.
    cali
  • Reply 2 of 13
    apple iigsapple iigs Posts: 38member
    It's funny how certain people like to claim Apple is getting long in the tooth and will soon be going out of business, but as near as I can tell it shows none of the signs of a company struggling or going out of business. It may have some temporary growth problems but I believe all companies go through that. What company has quarter after quarter, year after year growth forever? I was reminded that all the computer hardware companies that started when Apple did are long gone and yet there are people griping and criticizing how Apple has lost all innovation and such. . . . There's one thing that's never considered when valuing Apple and that's how many retail stores Apple has and they're increasing that number every year. That's one fact that Wall Street totally overlooks and I've never understood that. Those stores are an anchor for Apple customers and quite key to Apple's growing value. Wall Street picks and chooses what it considers relevant in value and yet Apple as a tech company is certainly unique when it comes to the number of retail stores.
    Yes you are right about that. Since Apple has brought out to market the iPod , iPhone and iPad, there are people and media out there that expect and want that world changing paradigm shift like product that stuns the world. Reality is we all know that is not something that happens quite that often and penalizing Apple for not doing that in my opinion is wrong.
  • Reply 3 of 13
    rotateleftbyterotateleftbyte Posts: 1,630member
    'Serving the Faithful'

    Just reinforcing the view (of the Apple haters) that anything to do with Apple is a religion. Can we stop using bait like this please?

    bobschlob[Deleted User]
  • Reply 4 of 13
    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    is that image pre- or post-facelift, I'm hoping the former as those black dangling cables (jumbo iPhones and under tables) are hideously blatant and not in keeping with the clean modern aesthetic.
  • Reply 5 of 13
    mike mannmike mann Posts: 5member
    Jordan Creek Mall is definitely not what I would consider a "modest mall outlet."  Maybe compared to the Mall of America.
    john.brhinotuff
  • Reply 6 of 13
    john.bjohn.b Posts: 2,742member
    adm1 said:
    is that image pre- or post-facelift, I'm hoping the former as those black dangling cables (jumbo iPhones and under tables) are hideously blatant and not in keeping with the clean modern aesthetic.
    That picture is years old. 
  • Reply 7 of 13
    rhinotuffrhinotuff Posts: 65member
    mike mann said:
    Jordan Creek Mall is definitely not what I would consider a "modest mall outlet."  Maybe compared to the Mall of America.
    That was my thought, they need to see the mall in Dubuque, IA if they want to see a "Modest" mall
  • Reply 8 of 13
    pacificfilmpacificfilm Posts: 134member
    john.b said:
    adm1 said:
    is that image pre- or post-facelift, I'm hoping the former as those black dangling cables (jumbo iPhones and under tables) are hideously blatant and not in keeping with the clean modern aesthetic.
    That picture is years old. 
    There is always a "design nitpicker" who points out that same issue for that same picture on so many sites. I have been in Apple stores easily a hundred times, and have never, once, looked  at what was under a table. Not. Once. If one really wants to enjoy judging the atrocity that a dangling cable is, one would probably have to go when the store is closed, all lights are on, and enjoy themselves as they stand, nose pressed against the glass, gasping at the horror of it all.
  • Reply 9 of 13
    pacificfilmpacificfilm Posts: 134member
    rhinotuff said:
    mike mann said:
    Jordan Creek Mall is definitely not what I would consider a "modest mall outlet."  Maybe compared to the Mall of America.
    That was my thought, they need to see the mall in Dubuque, IA if they want to see a "Modest" mall
    It's not about the Mall. The subject of the sentence is Apple's outlet, not the Mall.

    Apple's Jordan Creek Town Center store in West Des Moines, a modest mall outlet, will almost triple in size.

    If one reads it using the Mall as subject, then it also implies the mall itself will triple in size, and that the mall itself is an outlet.

    Finally get to use high school grammar and was so sure it served no purpose other than to further Miss Barrier's battling her way to a hefty retirement check.
  • Reply 10 of 13
    theothergeofftheothergeoff Posts: 2,081member
    I read 'modest mall outlet' as an descriptor to the subject 'Store' (i'm no grammar nazi, I'm sure there is a term for it, beyond 'choppy english'),
     

    JC is  nice mall...  and to be honest, the Apple MOA store is quite 'modest' as well (mashing subthreads).   

    The Apple Store Uptown in the twin cities, while not technically a 'mall outlet' has a retail space double that of the MOA, and a business/training center (and a grass roof top patio... sweet).

    Apple Store Hennepin and Lake


    The thing about the MOA is the 'turns' (sales per sq foot) are(were... I haven't followed that recently... but it was one of Gene Munster's monitoring stations) ginormous.

    The thing about the size... you're now seeing Apple becoming a defacto 'anchor' store in retail store management [anchor stores pay less per square foot, because they bring in the foot traffic for the other stores].    This is key... because as sq footage goes up, turns/revenue/sq ft goes down.

    Opening up the floor plan will be good.  the MOA seemed cramped, and 'mom's basement'  feel (as does the Edina Store down the strip).  The Uptown Location is a sweet space with the skylights and 2 story atrium.  I'm curious about spend though... it's just a nice place to hang out (vs dash in buy a ipad dash out).


    (yeah,  I get around... I've bought stuff at all the stores mentioned in the article/thread today... life as a midwestern cornfield backroad warrior)
  • Reply 11 of 13
    jazz1jazz1 Posts: 1member
    I'm going to hide in the new cornerstone ;) Yes, I'm a fanboy!

  • Reply 12 of 13
    NemWanNemWan Posts: 118member
    For years after the Beacon MicroCenter in Ames, Iowa closed, the Apple-logo-colored venetian blinds still hung in the vacant storefront windows.
  • Reply 13 of 13
    mike mannmike mann Posts: 5member
    pacificfilm said:
    rhinotuff said:
    That was my thought, they need to see the mall in Dubuque, IA if they want to see a "Modest" mall
    It's not about the Mall. The subject of the sentence is Apple's outlet, not the Mall.

    Apple's Jordan Creek Town Center store in West Des Moines, a modest mall outlet, will almost triple in size.

    If one reads it using the Mall as subject, then it also implies the mall itself will triple in size, and that the mall itself is an outlet.

    Finally get to use high school grammar and was so sure it served no purpose other than to further Miss Barrier's battling her way to a hefty retirement check.
    Ah, you're definitely right.  Makes sense now.  Can't wait to see the new store.
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