Canada's first Apple Store to open May 21

AppleInsider

Canada's first Apple retail store will finally open its doors this Saturday, May 21st at 9:30 am in the Yorkdale Shopping Center. The first 1500 people to visit the store will receive a free Apple Commemorative T-shirt. Additionally, customers can enter the Grand Opening Contest to win a Digital Lifestyle Collection valued at $2985. The winner will receive a Canon PowerShot SD300 - $449, Canon ZR100 DV Camcorder - $549, Epson Stylus Photo R200 - $139, 4GB iPod mini - $249, 1.8 GHz 17? iMac - $1599. ehMac, a Canadian Macintosh community site, has recently posted several photos of the near-finished location.

shabbasuraj

So who here is going?



I think I may go for the free t-shirt...



Anyone???

tilt

I would love to go, but I live in Burlington, and by the time I get to Yorkdale there will be a line with about 20,000 people already waiting since the previous evening I am sure

[email protected]

I hope to make it. We'll see how the day pans out.

jimdreamworx

Won't wait in line, but I will show up and hope for the best.

ragingloogie

sounds nifty... they're coming out sort of speak...

matsu

I'm going, a fellow mac geek wants to go, so I'm there. I'll try to post from the Apple store, take some pics... must think of something especially vitrilic for my first post from the Apple store.

ragingloogie

Quote:

Originally posted by Matsu

I'm going, a fellow mac geek wants to go, so I'm there. I'll try to post from the Apple store, take some pics... must think of something especially vitrilic for my first post from the Apple store.

have fun... if i had money, id take a trip up to canada to see it.. and also take a look around... never been to canada

satchmo

Quote:

Originally posted by JimDreamworx

Won't wait in line, but I will show up and hope for the best.

Yeah, I'll swing by about 9-9:30 when it opens.



I don't think there are that many macheads that I won't get a t-shirt (available to first 1500)... are there?

ragingloogie

Quote:

Originally posted by satchmo

Yeah, I'll swing by about 9-9:30 when it opens.



I don't think there are that many macheads that I won't get a t-shirt (available to first 1500)... are there?

i tried getting a t-shirt at the apple store that opened up areound me.. didnt work to well b/c i wasnt able to get there fast enough.... and what about those hats? the hats have a cool side to them.. more or less... anyone else agree?

mac the fork

I'd go to one if there was one in Halifax. Our local Mac dealers are worthless.

frank777

I'm headed to Canada's Wonderland tomorrow for the Spring Celebration.

If I'm early, I will try to stop by. Otherwise, I'll go to Yorkdale next week and catch Revenge of the Sith at the same time.

jimdreamworx

According to security, this morning there were over 800 people in line.

mikef

Not a bad turnout... any first hand reports yet?

tulkas

Easily 800 people. I was in line by about 8am and was about 220~230th in line according to the security guy with the clicker.



I'll post pics of the line if I get a chance.

[email protected]

Great turnout for a holiday weekend.



I arrived about 8:30 and was at the 550 mark (again according to the security guy). I got into the store about 10:45 or so. When I left at 11:30 or so (there was also lines at the cash once I got in). The line still had about 500 people in it. So I would guess that about 1000 people were in line for the morning. So I think everyone who arrived before noon would have gotten a t-shirt. The staff were all great: helpfull, excited.



Anyone go in the afternoon?



I can post a few pictures in a bit. Many thanks to the fellow mac user who bought batteries for me! All in all it was a great lot of fun and an amazing turnout.

[email protected]

Here are a few photos: Yorkdale Toronto Canada



The date stamps are off by an hour because I haven't set my camera to daylight savings time yet.

matsu

I went to Yorkdale figuring to stop by and check out the new store before catching the subway into the city. It was late in the day, I can't believe so many losers were still lined up. It was so funny to see people point at the line-up and snicker. You can't help but agree with the casual observer Needless to say, I wasn't going to waste hours lining up to get into a store, especially once I learned (thanks to ehmac) that there wasn't going to be any free swag. T-shirt? Big deal... boo... hiss...



It's funny, there's a pic in a thread at ehMac with one loser grinning idiotically, giving the thumbs up as he enters. That was the scene from the outside too. While the somewhat pathetic consumer spectacle of Apple peons lining up for a retail opening didn't much make me want to join in, I think I'll be buying a few Apple shares on Tuesday...

mikef

A tad harsh, wouldn't you think Matsu? Some people are just enthusastic but isn't this what makes Apple "different" and what makes them prosper at the same time?



I think most people who were in the line weren't there for the T-shirt, there were there for the experience.



Apple is obviously doing something right when they can draw the crowds like this.

matsu

Absolutely, which is why I might have to increase my APPL holdings. Walked by the Sony store too, dead.



I avoid line-ups as much as possible. No matter the venue, no matter the reason, there are always other restaurants, shows, movies, stores, times etc etc...



I'll hit the Apple Store next time I'm in Yorkdale, the buzz will have died down by then. The rest of the Mall reno, however, is very attractive, well done Yorkdale.

frank777

Yep, the crowds were still packing the store today.



I was surprised that the store is a bit smaller than I thought, since I'd heard Apple would be increasing the size of Apple Stores. There's also no large area for seminars/Stevenotes. I think I like Buffalo's layout a bit better.



As for placement, the store is opposite Electronics Boutique (will draw the PC gamers in) and Second Cup Coffee (excellent). It's also next door to Bikini Village (just plain weird).