Photos from Apple's latest retail openings in US, Australia & China

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
This was a big weekend for Apple's retail operations, as the company opened four entirely new stores, along with a handful of larger and improved replacement locations.

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Apple's store in Rockaway, N.J., moved to a new and improved location this Saturday, and AppleInsider reader Ryan was onhand for the grand opening festivities. The new full-size location replaces the previous mini Apple Store that the company had in Rockaway.

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The 6,000 square-foot space features Apple's new dual Genius Bar design, which allows the company to accommodate more customers seeking service.

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Also in America, Apple opened a replacement store in Santa Monica, Calif., at the Third Street Promenade. The new location is based on the design of Apple's Upper West Side store in New York City.

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Santa Monica Apple Store. | Source: AppleInsider reader Scott


Elsewhere around the world, this weekend was the debut of Apple's new store in the Westfield Fountain Gate shopping center in Fountain Gate, Australia. AppleInsider reader Luke was in line for the grand opening.

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This weekend also saw the opening of Apple's brand new retail store in Hong Kong's Hysan Place. The location in Causeway Bay features an all-glass 30-foot front facade that AppleInsider reader Joseph captured in this panoramic shot.

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Finally, Apple's retail operations also expanded to new stores in Chengdu, China, and Malmo, Sweden. The company also held a grand reopening for its Garden State Plaza store in New Jersey last weekend.

Apple opened a total of 33 new brick-and-mortar stores during is fiscal year 2012, with 28 of them located outside of the U.S. The total number of worldwide Apple Stores at the time was 390.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 25
    I bet they only sold 2 phones at each of these stores and the stock will trade down on Monday.
  • Reply 2 of 25
    I walked by the Microsoft store at South Coast Plaza in Orange County, Southern California yesterday. I was once again astounded by the degree to which they have copied the Apple Store. It is quite literally shameless.

    As usual the cloned T-shirt and plastic lanyarded staff outnumbered shoppers. Across the street the Apple Store was so crowded you could barely get in. And people were actually buying things.

    I do wish Apple would do some noise abatement work in their stores. All those beautifully minimal hard surfaces reflect sound to the point where it's hard to talk and be understood. It should be quiet and contemplative, not this din.
  • Reply 3 of 25
    I walked by the Microsoft store at South Coast Plaza in Orange County, Southern California yesterday. I was once again astounded by the degree to which they have copied the Apple Store. It is quite literally shameless.
    As usual the cloned T-shirt and plastic lanyarded staff outnumbered shoppers. Across the street the Apple Store was so crowded you could barely get in. And people were actually buying things.

    At least they are copying something that can't be protected by IP, even if it is shameless.
    I do wish Apple would do some noise abatement work in their stores. All those beautifully minimal hard surfaces reflect sound to the point where it's hard to talk and be understood. It should be quiet and contemplative, not this din.

    You may find this interesting if you haven't already read it...
  • Reply 4 of 25
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post



    You may find this interesting if you haven't already read it...


    Cool article. Proof that amazing design needs to be balanced with practical considerations. I think sometimes practicality comes out on the skinny end.image

  • Reply 5 of 25
    solipsismx wrote: »
    At least they are copying something that can't be protected by IP, even if it is shameless.
    You may find this interesting if you haven't already read it...
    Thanks for the link–interesting and apropos read.
  • Reply 6 of 25
    drblankdrblank Posts: 3,385member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by ifij775 View Post



    I bet they only sold 2 phones at each of these stores and the stock will trade down on Monday.


    Were you born this stupid, or do you use drugs and/or other chemicals to achieve that level of stupidity?  2 phones at each of these stores? Be real.

  • Reply 7 of 25
    drblankdrblank Posts: 3,385member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Robin Huber View Post



    I walked by the Microsoft store at South Coast Plaza in Orange County, Southern California yesterday. I was once again astounded by the degree to which they have copied the Apple Store. It is quite literally shameless.

    As usual the cloned T-shirt and plastic lanyarded staff outnumbered shoppers. Across the street the Apple Store was so crowded you could barely get in. And people were actually buying things.

    I do wish Apple would do some noise abatement work in their stores. All those beautifully minimal hard surfaces reflect sound to the point where it's hard to talk and be understood. It should be quiet and contemplative, not this din.


    Yeah, I've heard that not all Microsoft Stores are doing well.  Even Microsoft doesn't talk much about their Stores. Didn't they just opt for opening up pop-up kiosk stores at a bunch of malls instead of large stores?  The closest Microsoft Store is 90 miles away and there is NO WAY IN HELL I'm driving that far to go to a Microsoft Store.

  • Reply 8 of 25
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    .
  • Reply 9 of 25


    I think AI was posting the pictures not to show the new design of the store, but the traffic at this store! AI you are so pathetic - Just like the guy on WSJ was talking about low turn around at stores in China on debut of iPhone 5. The reason the lines were low, is because Apple is trying to be a good citizen and putting up a reservation system to avoid the carnage they had outside during last release of new product. Also, I heard the weather was bad also.

  • Reply 10 of 25
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    radster360 wrote: »
    I think AI was posting the pictures not to show the new design of the store, but the traffic at this store! AI you are so pathetic - Just like the guy on WSJ was talking about low turn around at stores in China on debut of iPhone 5. The reason the lines were low, is because Apple is trying to be a good citizen and putting up a reservation system to avoid the carnage they had outside during last release of new product. Also, I heard the weather was bad also.

    You think these show the traffic in the stores? :???::no:

    700 700
  • Reply 11 of 25
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    The Hong Kong one is pretty awesome looking.
  • Reply 12 of 25

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post





    You think these show the traffic in the stores? imageimage



    It does suggest the traffic to be anticipated in the absence of a nearby Microsoft store to pull in casual shoppers.


     


    Cheers

  • Reply 13 of 25
    citycity Posts: 522member


    Last July, Nakash Holdings, the Jordache Jeans moguls, purchased the new Santa Monica Apple store for 60 million dollars ($3,400 per square foot). 


     


    The closed Border's Book store on the same site sold for 23 million a couple of years ago.


     


    I wonder why Apple doesn't buy the land.

  • Reply 14 of 25
    The great blunt drab irony of all this shopping-opportunity journalism is that these McShoppes could be absolutely anywhere on earth, as could their crowds.

    One could argue that The Temples of the Fruit are relatively tasteful, functional, and even innovative %u2013 after all, the mercantile bar is set plenty low. But distinctive? That would violate their purpose, which is to provide a uniform, homogenous experience which is ultimately as dulling as it is dull.

    Mass production requires - more than anything else - a mass, undistinguished market. No matter where you go, there you are and there they are, and you and they are all, everywhere, always the same.
  • Reply 15 of 25
    froodfrood Posts: 771member


    I love Apples retail stores.  Every one of them is well done and they manage to be both different from each other and similar at the same time.  The first one I went in was their flagship in NY to buy my first smartphone and it just had very much a 'wow' effect.  Never really noticed the noise in any of them, and I hope you bringing it up won't make me now notice it all of a sudden :p

  • Reply 16 of 25

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by drblank View Post


    Were you born this stupid, or do you use drugs and/or other chemicals to achieve that level of stupidity?  2 phones at each of these stores? Be real.



    This was sarcasm related to this WSJ article: http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2012/12/14/a-frigid-launch-for-iphone-5-in-beijing/

  • Reply 17 of 25
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    No matter what Apple does, no matter what products they release, somebody on AI will be around to bitch and whine about it.
  • Reply 18 of 25


    Originally Posted by lkrupp View Post

    No matter what Apple does, no matter what products they release, somebody on AI will be around to bitch and whine about it.


     


    That should be our site's tagline. image

  • Reply 19 of 25
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Ireland.
  • Reply 20 of 25


    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post

    Ireland.


     


    I think it's inexcusable you guys don't have one yet.

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