apple stores are doing something right
just thought i'd mention, i'm sitting in the Apple store at the Mall of America right now, typing this on a TiPB that has wireless networking running on it.
it's the only place in the mall that i can find that has free, unrestricted internet access, and on great machines to boot.
across from me is a family i had been talking to at Radio Shack just a few hours ago, who had been looking for a place to check their mail while they were at the mall. i told them to try the apple store, and here they are. go figure.
now they look like they're seriously considering buying a Mac, when just an hour or two ago, they looked at me half crosseyed when i told them to check out the apple store.
of course, i'm in here because i'm looking to buy gifts for my groomsman. i wanted to get them a Leatherman tool, 'cause they rule, but the cheapest i could find them here was $45 apiece. add tax to that etc. and it starts to add up. so instead i went back to the Apple store and went online, and shopped around. i picked up the leatherman tool for $32 each, and no tax. shipping was $10 total. saved me about $100 at least. not bad.
in any case, this place is packed, and i actually have a picture of my sister, brother-in-law and i when we got here. (they wanted a picture to send to their mac loving families)
this store is prettyh cool, and is bar far the coolest of the computer stores at the mall. nothing else even comes close.
for those that say the Apple stores aren't doing that well, i can tell you from personal experience thta they're doing at least 10x better than any of their competitors here at the Mall of America.
people are walking out with iPods, cameras, scanners. kids are watching Monsters Inc. trailers and having fun playing them at 3x speeds, and making them sound like the chipmunks. all in all, this is a great store, and it's doing amazing business.
Go Apple!
-alcimedes
it's the only place in the mall that i can find that has free, unrestricted internet access, and on great machines to boot.
across from me is a family i had been talking to at Radio Shack just a few hours ago, who had been looking for a place to check their mail while they were at the mall. i told them to try the apple store, and here they are. go figure.
now they look like they're seriously considering buying a Mac, when just an hour or two ago, they looked at me half crosseyed when i told them to check out the apple store.
of course, i'm in here because i'm looking to buy gifts for my groomsman. i wanted to get them a Leatherman tool, 'cause they rule, but the cheapest i could find them here was $45 apiece. add tax to that etc. and it starts to add up. so instead i went back to the Apple store and went online, and shopped around. i picked up the leatherman tool for $32 each, and no tax. shipping was $10 total. saved me about $100 at least. not bad.
in any case, this place is packed, and i actually have a picture of my sister, brother-in-law and i when we got here. (they wanted a picture to send to their mac loving families)
this store is prettyh cool, and is bar far the coolest of the computer stores at the mall. nothing else even comes close.
for those that say the Apple stores aren't doing that well, i can tell you from personal experience thta they're doing at least 10x better than any of their competitors here at the Mall of America.
people are walking out with iPods, cameras, scanners. kids are watching Monsters Inc. trailers and having fun playing them at 3x speeds, and making them sound like the chipmunks. all in all, this is a great store, and it's doing amazing business.
Go Apple!
-alcimedes
Comments
Maybe even a "Apple Room" in the back for the best experience with the best apple has to offer... like a my local "Audio King" or "Circuit City" where they have these Plush carpeted rooms with nice ergonomic furniture and "top-o-the line" gadgets and equip... Huge Display... maybe thet could put one of those 42 - 60inch Plasma displays or something... or projection maybe.... special Apple speakers... etc. that'd be sweet...
E PLURIBUS UNIX
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Well, I went there on Dec 31st about 15 minutes before closing. Most other stores were already empty and about to close. But there were at least 10 - 15 shoppers (ie: not salespeople) in the store. Based on my eavesdropping, most of them weren't Mac users. One group was walking by the store and said, "What? An Apple store? I didn't realize they were still in business!" (I kid you not, and this is right outside Cupertino!). Then they went inside the store out of sheer amazement.
And Valley Fair is one of the largest malls in the San Francisco Bay Area. It gets an enormous amount of traffic. So even if the store isn't making a huge amount of profit, at least a fraction of those shoppers will be exposed to Apple's products; which is a good thing. Especially when so many people don't even consider Apple when making a computer purchase.