Apple opens doors to France's first Apple Store
Thousands flocked to The Carrousel du Louvre on Saturday, the scene of France's first Apple Store opening.
Beneath the Louvre Museum in Paris one can find a host of high-end shops and eateries and can now also find France's first Apple store. Saturday saw the store's opening, and thousands were on hand to peruse Apple's current line of products and take advantage of the Genius Bar's knowledgeable staff.
Gary Allen at ifoapplestore.com was there opening day and made several interesting observations. Allen reports that the employees were using the new iPod Touch POS devices and even managed to snap a few pictures of the tool in use. Called the EasyPay touch, it combines iPod touch features with a magnetic stripe reader, advanced barcode scanner and Apple-written software to facilitate both plastic and cash transactions. It replaces the Pocket-PC based solution currently in use in stores which opened prior to Paris.
Allen notes that the store "shares several features of the more spectacular Apple stores in the chain - views for visitors." Lower-level visitors have views of the spiral-glass staircase and can peer through the 30-foot tall window to the outside which is dominated by the inverted glass pyramid unique to the Carrousel du Louvre mall.
During a press briefing at the new location, Apple executives noted that France will see the fastest rate of new store openings of any other country to date. The Montpellier location will open Nov. 14 and summer 2010 will see a store near the Opera Ganier.
Manhattan Apple Store Spy Shots
Gizmodo has a spy-shot of the flagship Manhattan Apple Store slated to open on Saturday. The store is located at Broadway and 67th and reportedly cost $37.0 million dollars to construct.
Beneath the Louvre Museum in Paris one can find a host of high-end shops and eateries and can now also find France's first Apple store. Saturday saw the store's opening, and thousands were on hand to peruse Apple's current line of products and take advantage of the Genius Bar's knowledgeable staff.
Gary Allen at ifoapplestore.com was there opening day and made several interesting observations. Allen reports that the employees were using the new iPod Touch POS devices and even managed to snap a few pictures of the tool in use. Called the EasyPay touch, it combines iPod touch features with a magnetic stripe reader, advanced barcode scanner and Apple-written software to facilitate both plastic and cash transactions. It replaces the Pocket-PC based solution currently in use in stores which opened prior to Paris.
Allen notes that the store "shares several features of the more spectacular Apple stores in the chain - views for visitors." Lower-level visitors have views of the spiral-glass staircase and can peer through the 30-foot tall window to the outside which is dominated by the inverted glass pyramid unique to the Carrousel du Louvre mall.
During a press briefing at the new location, Apple executives noted that France will see the fastest rate of new store openings of any other country to date. The Montpellier location will open Nov. 14 and summer 2010 will see a store near the Opera Ganier.
Manhattan Apple Store Spy Shots
Gizmodo has a spy-shot of the flagship Manhattan Apple Store slated to open on Saturday. The store is located at Broadway and 67th and reportedly cost $37.0 million dollars to construct.
Comments
http://vimeo.com/7486943
Its about the new store and about the people waiting :-D
This store would definitely be on my to-see list the next time I visit Paris.
Dude, it's a goddamn shop. What is wrong with you people?
At least you won't wait all day to peer at the Mona Lisa. It will only take you 20 minutes to get in front of an iMac.
Dude, it's a goddamn shop. What is wrong with you people?
At least you won't wait all day to peer at the Mona Lisa. It will only take you 20 minutes to get in front of an iMac.
If you're from an Apple store-less country Apple and come for a vacation in Paris, sure it makes sense to visit the Apple store at the Louvre. If you're from the US, UK or the few privileged, well then it's beyond me... Apple stores are quite similar, and you'd be wasting sightseeing time
of all these clueless sales in iStudio shops that don't know the difference between a bird's a@@ and an iPod. They are rude and technically ignorant.
When are they going to open one in Thailand? I'm sick
of all these clueless sales in iStudio shops that don't know the difference between a bird's a@@ and an iPod. They are rude and technically ignorant.
but they all have boobies right?
If you're from an Apple store-less country Apple and come for a vacation in Paris, sure it makes sense to visit the Apple store at the Louvre. If you're from the US, UK or the few privileged, well then it's beyond me... Apple stores are quite similar, and you'd be wasting sightseeing time
But it's a Steve Jobs Glass Pyramid, Dude!
Do you have any idea how many tourists flock to his Glass Cube in Manhattan?
How do they plan to get some french customers in there? There are but tourists and foreign students. Average Parisian would die for to escape just that crowd...
Deal with it. Do the French ever go to the crowded Louvre? Same thing.
Deal with it. Do the French ever go to the crowded Louvre? Same thing.
Parisians hate the Pyramid. They're convinced it's irreparable damage to the cultural heritage of the capital. So, they're trying hard to avoid Louvre.
When I was last buying something at an Apple store, the only machine the salesperson needed was the old hand-held (ugly, clunky) terminal. If you go to the gallery of shots of it at http://gallery.me.com/ifoman#100247 it clearly shows a customer swiping their card through a different POS terminal. If the EasyPay touch has a magnetic reader, why do they need that other ugly machine? Is this a step backwards? Does anyone have any other information on it?
Thanks,
John
Parisians hate the Pyramid. They're convinced it's irreparable damage to the cultural heritage of the capital. So, they're trying hard to avoid Louvre.
And the Eifel? The modern lights have ruined that as well- no?
If the EasyPay touch has a magnetic reader, why do they need that other ugly machine? Is this a step backwards?
Because France (and the UK, and other countries in Europe no doubt also) don't use the magnetic strip when processing credit card payments, they use chip & PIN. The EasyPay device would need a smart card reader, not a magnetic reader, to be useful here.
-Rolf
And the Eifel? The modern lights have ruined that as well- no?
This edifice is considered to be particularly useful for two things.
How do they plan to get some french customers in there? Only tourists and foreign students are hanging out there. Average Parisian would die for to escape just that crowd...
This is true.
However, it is obvious that Apple is targeting the 30 million (yes, that's correct!) visitors that the Louvre gets every year. (Paris Disneyland was based on a similar logic).
And heck, it might end up being the attraction for a few Parisians to visit the Pyramid/Louvre too!
This edifice is considered to be particularly useful for two things.
That second one is so philosophically Parisian.
macdonald's
This is true.
However, it is obvious that Apple is targeting the 30 million (yes, that's correct!) visitors that the Louvre gets every year. (Paris Disneyland was based on a similar logic).
And heck, it might end up being the attraction for a few Parisians to visit the Pyramid/Louvre too!
Those 30 millions should have already gotten some Apple Stores in their countries.