Several Apple retail stores fall victim to smash-and-grab burglaries
A burglary at the Apple Store in Greenwich, Conn., Tuesday morning is the latest in a string of smash-and-grab burglaries targeting Apple's retail stores.
The store's surveillance video shows five burglars smashing the front door of the store and quickly grabbing tens of thousands of dollars' worth of merchandise before making their escape. The burglary took place around 3 a.m. early Tuesday morning.
The Greenwich Avenue store opened in November of last year. Greenwich, Conn., is an upscale town well-known for being the "hedge fund capital" of the U.S.
The store was closed Tuesday for repairs. Workers swept up broken glass while a security guard stood watch.
With their iconic glass doors and high concentration of valuable products, Apple Stores have become an easy target for smash-and-grab style burglaries. The company's retail stores have been the victims of a rash of burglaries that have taken place in Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and now Connecticut.
Surveillance images released by the Greenwich police show the five hooded suspects breaking into the store.
Source: Stamford Advocate
The Apple Store in the UTC mall in San Diego, Calif. has twice been subject to a smash-and-grab burglary. In August, thieves broke through the store's front doors to steal 12 iPhone 4s. On Dec. 9, the UTC Apple Store was again burglarized. The perpetrators made off with 15 Apple unspecified products.
On Dec. 6, the Tice's Corner Apple Store in Woodcliff Lake, N.J., was burglarized. Just before 2 a.m., four burglars smashed their way into the Apple Store for a 30-second stealing spree that included iPods, MacBooks and iPhones.
In 2008, burglars broke into the Tice's Corner store through a vacant furniture next door. Using sledgehammers, crowbars and other tousle, broke through a wall to gain access to the Apple Store. The burglars were unsuccessful, however, and police apprehended and charged three of the four men involved.
Thieves took over $10,000 worth of Apple merchandise from the Shadyside Apple Store in Pittsburgh, Penn., in November. Police suspected that the break-in was connected to a similar burglary at a nearby T-Mobile store that took place hours before the Apple Store theft.
In September, burglars made off with more than $24,000 in Apple products from an Apple Store in Naperville, Ill.
Apple's retail business has seen tremendous growth since the Cupertino, Calif., company opened its first stores May 2001. In the next year, Apple expects to open 40 to 50 new stores, with over half them overseas.
Roughly half of the Macs sold in Apple's retail stores are to first-time Mac owners. As of October, Apple had 317 stores worldwide, averaging $11.8 million of revenue per store, up 52 percent year over year.
The store's surveillance video shows five burglars smashing the front door of the store and quickly grabbing tens of thousands of dollars' worth of merchandise before making their escape. The burglary took place around 3 a.m. early Tuesday morning.
The Greenwich Avenue store opened in November of last year. Greenwich, Conn., is an upscale town well-known for being the "hedge fund capital" of the U.S.
The store was closed Tuesday for repairs. Workers swept up broken glass while a security guard stood watch.
With their iconic glass doors and high concentration of valuable products, Apple Stores have become an easy target for smash-and-grab style burglaries. The company's retail stores have been the victims of a rash of burglaries that have taken place in Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and now Connecticut.
Surveillance images released by the Greenwich police show the five hooded suspects breaking into the store.
Source: Stamford Advocate
The Apple Store in the UTC mall in San Diego, Calif. has twice been subject to a smash-and-grab burglary. In August, thieves broke through the store's front doors to steal 12 iPhone 4s. On Dec. 9, the UTC Apple Store was again burglarized. The perpetrators made off with 15 Apple unspecified products.
On Dec. 6, the Tice's Corner Apple Store in Woodcliff Lake, N.J., was burglarized. Just before 2 a.m., four burglars smashed their way into the Apple Store for a 30-second stealing spree that included iPods, MacBooks and iPhones.
In 2008, burglars broke into the Tice's Corner store through a vacant furniture next door. Using sledgehammers, crowbars and other tousle, broke through a wall to gain access to the Apple Store. The burglars were unsuccessful, however, and police apprehended and charged three of the four men involved.
Thieves took over $10,000 worth of Apple merchandise from the Shadyside Apple Store in Pittsburgh, Penn., in November. Police suspected that the break-in was connected to a similar burglary at a nearby T-Mobile store that took place hours before the Apple Store theft.
In September, burglars made off with more than $24,000 in Apple products from an Apple Store in Naperville, Ill.
Apple's retail business has seen tremendous growth since the Cupertino, Calif., company opened its first stores May 2001. In the next year, Apple expects to open 40 to 50 new stores, with over half them overseas.
Roughly half of the Macs sold in Apple's retail stores are to first-time Mac owners. As of October, Apple had 317 stores worldwide, averaging $11.8 million of revenue per store, up 52 percent year over year.
Comments
Just stay open 24/7, the demand is there.
Why not just put one of those chain rack looking doors like the ones that are put at the stores inside the shopping mall's.
Apple has the greatest idea for Computer Technology but FAIL for store Security! Idiots!
I know their is a simple security program out there that will take take a picture of the person that is using your laptop and email you a picture and location as soon as that computer logs on to the internet?
They should be posting their pictures all over the place ...
It's a shame this is happening, but really isn't a surprise.
As soon as the alarm is tripped, security lights should start flashing like crazy so the people just cut and run and can't see a thing because they are blinded.
Or, when they are closed ... they should have some high tech laser beam setup that looks awesome like in the movies ... that would be a cool looking deterrent.
They need to have some fun with this and be innovative ... the ideas are endless.
Why not just put one of those chain rack looking doors like the ones that are put at the stores inside the shopping mall's.
Apple has the greatest idea for Computer Technology but FAIL for store Security! Idiots!
I’d wager there reason is because it’s aesthetically unpleasing. A silly reason to risk tens of thousands in theft, but it’s there merchandise. If their insurance companies don’t mind, then oh well.
What about glass sandwiched between polycarb. I’m not sure how big they can be made, the cost or the appearance but it seems like an Apple-like solution on the face of it.
I?d wager there reason is because it?s aesthetically unpleasing.
BINGO!
A silly reason to risk tens of thousands in theft, but it?s there merchandise. If their insurance companies don?t mind, then oh well.
Um, insurance company doesn't pay, it just covers and if Apple stores keep getting busted into, insurance rates to cover go up. And while Apple may not increase price on products as they are premium priced now, Apple may not lower their prices or lower them where they might have, if not incurring higher insurance rates. So in the end, we the people get it in the end.
What about glass sandwiched between polycarb. I?m not sure how big they can be made, the cost or the appearance but it seems like an Apple-like solution on the face of it.
GORILLA GLASS! YEAH, GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE!
The Greenwich police station is only approximately 2 small blocks away from the Apple Store on Greenwich Avenue.
But donut shop is 6 blocks away from police station!
Sorry, just had to...
Why not just put one of those chain rack looking doors like the ones that are put at the stores inside the shopping mall's.
I've seen jewelry stores refuse to do this as well, even after being broken into.
I’d wager there reason is because it’s aesthetically unpleasing. A silly reason to risk tens of thousands in theft, but it’s there merchandise. If their insurance companies don’t mind, then oh well.
What about glass sandwiched between polycarb. I’m not sure how big they can be made, the cost or the appearance but it seems like an Apple-like solution on the face of it.
I am surprised they are not using laminated glass for the front too.
EDIT: I just noticed on a news video that the glass door was broken at the connections and was not shattered. It seems that they are using laminated glass but weak connections.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRtDc2_SI40
Good post! I'm curious as to what the cost is for that glass of comparable size that Apple uses for their front facades. If it's really expensive, perhaps their mentality is that it is cheaper to replace the stolen merchandise than it would be to replace the cracked glass.
Even though the glass would not break, they would obviously still have to replace the panel due to the damage.
On the other hand, if Apple did that to all their stores, over a very quick amount of time the thieves would get the hint that breaking into the stores would be a lot harder.
Some San Diego, CA stores have been broken into more than once. Twice I have been to the UTC store in La Jolla and the doors were being repaired.
Yup ... was at the UTC store over the weekend and thought that they hadn't replaced the glass from the first break-in ... only to find out that it had been broken into a SECOND time ... first time in August.
If I were Apple I would NOT allow this to happen at all ... I would lower a set of Titanium iBars? down from the roof to block out would-be thieves!
Tick tick tick. That's the sound of your merchandise running away.
That's funny Mr. Eugene Greer.
That store is like 10 minutes away from me. Whoever those kids are they're so getting caught, Greenwich doesn't mess around.
Surely Apple (of all retailers) would have security cameras EVERYWHERE in their stores?! Unbelievable.