Filed under: Apple Corporate, Retail, Rumors
Kansas Apple Store ready to open
The MacRumors Forums are abuzz with discussion about the opening of the first Apple Store in Kansas. Not to be confused with Apple Store Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Mo., this store is in Leawood, Kansas. Specifically, the store is located in the new shopping center being built in the Crate & Barrel area on the south east corner of 119th & Roe. While there's no listing on Apple's retail page, they do have a map page partially complete.
Several forum users state that the store will open on July 11, just in time for the 3G iPhone launch. If you visit this store over the weekend, please let us know! Welcome to the club, Kansas!
Thanks, Darrell!
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
garrett porter said 1:53PM on 7-08-2008
Finally! an apple store within 5 minutes of my house!
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BinaryPalindrome said 2:05PM on 7-08-2008
For what it's worth, while the store may be technically within the borders of Kansas, there isn't a Kansan west of Topeka in their right mind who would consider that to be 'in Kansas'. Put one in Topeka, or in Wichita, and it could be considered as such. Its current location might as well be in Missouri for all that the rest of the state cares.
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XiozTzu said 2:14PM on 7-08-2008
Apple stores are all about per capita disposable income, sadly nothing west of KC has enough buying power to sustain a store. Most of the Kansas population lives in or around Kansas City and Overland Park, KS.
BinaryPalindrome said 2:25PM on 7-08-2008
The urban population, for sure. It's just a funny case where everyone in the northeast corner considers anything west of Topeka to be Western Kansas, and everyone else considers KC to not be part of the state. Though, as a person born and raised a Kansan, it was always frustrating that KC got all the glory and everyone else was regarded as hicks and hayseeds.
Apple's reasoning makes sound financial sense; I simply couldn't pass up the opportunity to get a dig in on the Northeasterners.
Squid7085 said 3:41PM on 7-08-2008
I don't think the Wichita Area would have trouble at all supporting a small Apple Store. Heck, I would make it profitable just so I wouldn't have to deal with Haddock anymore. Just building an Apple store that sells iPods in the Wichita Area would be profitable. But as somebody satated before, Leawood can hardly be considered as Kansas. Topeka and Wichita are the true Kansas population centers.
This only gets me a good 20 minutes closer to an Apple Store.
Jonathan Badeen said 2:11PM on 7-08-2008
I grew up down the street from there and just was visiting my parents over the weekend... I took a drive by it and the storefront is up and they had curtains covering the front to keep people from peeking in. Very excited about this one (for my parents... just got my Dad to switch this last weekend and had my Mom switch before I even did). They are looking forward to this. Now they'll be able to get some Dean and Deluca, go across the street and get their Apple on. Hopefully they have a good workshop area and workshop offerings. The one at the Plaza is tiny and a pain in the behind to get to. I live in LA now so I have plenty to choose from thankfully.
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XiozTzu said 2:14PM on 7-08-2008
And everything will be 0.15% cheaper!
Kansas City, MO sales tax rate 7.85%
Leawood, KS sales tax rate 7.5%
Source: CNNMoney.com
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vt said 2:15PM on 7-08-2008
Finally, all the snobs in KS will have a place to go and not crowd the plaza store any more! Get it OPEN NOW!
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Dinesh said 3:36PM on 7-08-2008
Finally! I dont have to drive down all the way to Plaza! Thank you Apple.
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Scott said 4:11PM on 7-08-2008
@XiozTzu, Actually, I believe that technically Wichita is the largest KS population if you only count the KS part of KC. I also believe that Wichita would be big enough to sustain a single Apple store. As a life time resident, I know that Wichita could. We are one of the top 50 biggest cities in the US, according to 2005 or 2006 numbers. With Wichita being the "Air Capital of the World" and how airline companies aren't doing too bad in the current economy, and with the housing market not that bad in Wichita, and gas prices some of the lowest in the country, I would believe that Wichita is a pretty steady place (economically speaking) and that we could sustain an Apple Store. I see many Apple laptops on WSU campus and I know that they are around the other colleges in the area.
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Crickett said 6:09PM on 7-08-2008
Agreed! As (yet another) born-&-bred Kansan, I'll start getting excited when Apple announces a Kansas location that's *not* in the KC/OPark area. I've always thought Wichita would make perfect sense for a TRUE Kansas Apple Store. C'mon, Apple, let the rest of us have some fun!
Squid7085 said 6:33PM on 7-08-2008
The Wichita area consistently stays at 49-51 biggest city population wise, year by year. You are right about the Wichita area technically being larger. Most metro areas are measured by what is called an "MSA" Metropolitan Statistical Area. Wichitas MSA is a few thousand shy of 600,000 as of the last count I believe. The KC MSA, while much larger, little of the population is in Kansas.
However, in Apples defense. Its a short drive to an Apple store in the KC area from even Manhattan and Topeka. So obviously it is a much more attractive market, and presumably much easier to get to than the Plaza store. (Traffic and such) Every time I have been to the Plaza store it has been packed. Wichita is in a much wider picture a large population center in the middle of nowhere. You got 600,000 in a small area and that is pretty much it. The idea that Apple could not run a profitable Apple store the size of the Plaza one in Wichita is ludicrous. The plus would be it would put Haddock out of business. :-) (Can you tell I am bitter?)
Barbara Ballard said 5:21PM on 7-08-2008
What amuses me is that this shopping center is essential adjacent to the Sprint campus, depending on which of the strip malls it actually refers to.
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Scott Russell said 5:51PM on 7-08-2008
I live in Leawood, and I've been following the progress of the store's construction. It's been very quick! The big Apple logo was only put in place 2 weeks ago. It's now lit and the exterior complete. Black paper now conceals the store's interior, but from the size of its footprint, I think the store will be very spacious.
By the way, as a Leawood resident, I'm undeniably a true Kansan. Just check my tax records, driver's license, and Jayhawk flag.
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Ben K. said 8:10PM on 7-08-2008
I was approached for an interview to be a Genius at this store, but I had to respectfully decline, as I'm finishing up school in Springfield, MO (where an Apple Store is DESPERATELY NEEDED). I'd love to see what this store looks like inside, though!
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kody Willnauer said 8:48PM on 7-08-2008
I will drive by and snap a picture for TUAW.... but with my Blackberry Curve :)
but hey, I'm waiting for that CDMA iPhone!
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Jason said 11:46PM on 7-08-2008
Huh, my old manager at Starbucks is going to be the manager of this one...great place to open it; it's gonna be successful there in southern JoCo.
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jfreibourn said 12:31AM on 7-09-2008
Well, they won't open one in Topeka until the Cowboy vs. Gangster war cools down a little...no telling when that will be.
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Peela said 7:30AM on 7-09-2008
This store will be excellent if it compares with the New York or London stores. Have you seen this? They are both cited as 100 stores you must visit by Retail Week magazine
http://www.retail-week.com/Fashion/2008/06/100_shops_you_must_visit_2008.html
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Austin said 3:32AM on 7-11-2008
I'm here! 12th in line. Anyone else here?
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