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apple store posts

Filed under: Apple Corporate, Retail

Apple Store Carrousel du Louvre opens today

Apple typically opens retail stores in high-end shopping areas, and this one is as high-end as it gets.

Beneath the great glass pyramid that marks the entrance to the Louvre Museum in Paris is Carrousel du Louvre, home to shops, a gourmet food court, exhibition space and, as of this Saturday, an Apple Store. This will be the first Apple Store in Paris and in France. Another Apple Store is poised to open in the seaside town of Montpellier next Saturday.

This location has the now iconic glass spiral staircase that's featured in other flagship stores and two levels total. If you can't visit Apple Store Carrousel du Louvre this weekend, check out the photos and coverage from ifoAppleStore as well as these photos on Flickr. C'est Magnifique!

Also notable this week is the new Musee du Louvre app that's available for free from the App Store [iTunes link]. Coincidentally, of course.

Filed under: Hardware, Retail, iPod touch

A look at Apple's iPod touch-based EasyPay system

Last week, we learned that Apple would be revamping some US retail stores, including a new iPod touch-based point-of-sale (POS) system. A new scanner accessory allows Apple to replace the old Windows CE-based sales handhelds.

Gary Allen of ifoAppleStore has given AppleInsider an exclusive look at the thing, and it's pretty cool (that is, if retail hardware is your bag). It's an iPod touch with a magnetic stripe reader, a barcode scanner and Apple's proprietary payment-processing software. The iPod rests inside what AppleInsider calls a "slip-on shell" that plugs into the dock connector; it includes its own battery to power the two scanning peripherals.

Apple Store employees will use the devices to accept purchases made with credit cards, debit cards and cash; they can even make returns and activate a new iPhone.

It looks like a clever device. If you see one in the store (or if you use one), tell us what you can.

[Via The Apple Blog]

Filed under: Apple Corporate, Retail

First Apple Store set to open in Philadelphia

Last night Philadelphia's baseball fans had something to cheer about, and soon her Apple fans will, too. After years of waiting, an Apple Store is finally set to open within the city itself at 1607 Walnut Street.

Probably.

It's not set in stone yet, as the proposed design is yet to go before the city's Art Commission. Let's hope Apple has a better time of it than they did in Boston, where Boston's Back Bay Architectural Commission had trouble approving the Boylston Street store's design.

By contrast,
The Art Commission's executive director, William Burke, seems enthused, telling Metro, "...[Apple is] going to clean all that off and purify the design. It's a nice building that contributes to the character of the street."

The store currently closest to Philly is the Ardmore Apple Store. Other than that, you've got to go out to Jersey.

[Via MacNN]

Filed under: Retail, Apple

I went to an Apple Store on Halloween and they gave me... a bookmark

Several TUAW readers have tipped us to the fact that many Apple Stores were in the Halloween spirit last night, handing out treats for ghouls, goblins, and Mac nerds who wandered by.

However, it sounds like Apple was playing the anonymous homeowner to Charlie Brown, who always got a rock instead of candy in his bag. The Apple Stores were not giving out sugary treats to the tots with their parents in tow, but they did get bookmarks. Yay.

The bookmarks are pretty cool, though. Printed in a beautiful turquoise color, the iPod nano-sized bookmarks have magnets on the inside tips so you can fold them around a page and they'll stick. Apple design savvy strikes again!

Apple fans apparently "ate up" the bookmarks; the post on iPhone Savior mentioned that one store was out of them by 7:30 PM. I'm thinking that we should use Apple's use of a bookmark as a giveaway as a hint about the legendary iTablet / ebook reader...

What do you think Apple should have given out to the costumed crowds last night instead of bookmarks? Leave your comments below.

[via iPhone Savior]

Filed under: Retail, Apple, Found Footage

Men in kilts: video from the Aberdeen, Scotland Apple Store opening


TUAW fan George sent us a link to some video he shot earlier today at the grand opening of the Apple Store Union Square in Aberdeen, Scotland.

The video is fun; not only is there the usual high-fiving and applause as customers enter the new store, but one of the Apple employees is wearing a kilt and there was a kilted piper entertaining the folks in line.

In other Apple Store news, reader Christophe pointed us to exclusive photos on Macgeneration of the interior of the new Louvre store in Paris, France, which is scheduled to open on November 7th, 2009. That store will be the first Apple Store in France.

Apple's plans to dominate the European computer and consumer electronics market continue to bear watching, as these new Apple Stores are bound to increase international sales to impressive new levels.

Filed under: Video, Other Events, Apple

Manhasset Long Island Apple store opens


It was freezing this morning as the Manhasset Long Island, NY Apple store opened for business. Employees wearing T-Shirts (they weren't allowed to wear coats), ran up and down the waiting line of hundreds of people both pumping up the crowd and trying to stay warm. The enthusiasm was contagious as orange shirted people shouted out that the store would be open in 15 minutes, 10 minutes, 5 minutes, and then the doors opened to seemingly dozens of Apple workers handing out T-shirts and applauding loudly as each new group of 20 people or so were let in the huge glass doors. The first 1,000 people were handed black T-shirts that said 'Manhasset' on the front and 'Designed by Apple in California' on the back.

The store is free standing and much larger than the one at the Walt Whitman Mall, my usual Apple store. The front and back of the store are glass walls and there is plenty of open space. Hopefully this store will take some of the burden off of the other Long Island stores which are usually crowded and have multi-day waits to get an appointment at the Genius Bar.

If you're in the area, check it out at 1900 Northern Blvd, Manhasset, NY.

Filed under: Apple

It's Friday afternoon, and the online Apple Store is down

Well, this seems a little unexpected; it looks like the online Apple Store is down. Could we be seeing the new Mac mini, iMac or MacBook models that have been rumored to come out soon? When the store comes back up, we'll let you know of any changes.

What do you think could come when the store is back up? Let us know in the comments below!

UPDATE: It's back up, it looks like there's nothing new.

Filed under: Retail, Apple

Apple Store opening this Saturday in Manhasset, NY

The population of Apple Stores in the state of New York will grow by one this Saturday, October 17th. Apple is opening the new Manhasset location on Long Island, about 15 miles east of LaGuardia International Airport.

This will be Apple's 14th store in the Empire State, and will have all of the typical features found at the stores -- the Genius Bar, T-shirted employees, an iPhone Activation Zone, and tables full of your favorite Apple toys. Of course, you can always hang out at the store for the free Wi-Fi and genial atmosphere; we're all expecting our very own David Winograd to be a constant fixture at the store.

We always love to see photos or video from Apple Store openings, so if you're there on Saturday at 10 AM ET and happen to get us some good shots, be sure to upload your work of art to tuaw.tumblr.com.

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Retail, Apple

Apple adds Questions & Answers to its online store

Over the past week, something new on the Apple Store went somewhat unnoticed and unreported in the Mac media. Apple has added a new Questions & Answers feature to most of the product listings on its online store. This new feature allows customers to interact with each other; however, this is different from the current review system Apple has. In addition, this feature is somewhat similar to the Customer Discussions feature that Amazon.com offers. It adds a bit more of a social push, something Apple has been up to lately.

Do you think Apple's Questions & Answers will be a useful tool, or just another place for people to gripe? Let us know in the comments below.

Filed under: Apple Corporate, Retail

Online Brazilian Apple Store now live



After months of rumors, Apple's official online store for Brazil has officially opened at apple.com/br. It joins the 34 other countries with localized online stores. The Brazilian store is a mirror of many others and joins Apple's effort to establish a presence south of the United States. Presently, there are localized online stores in Brazil, Costa Rica, Chile, Colombia and Ecuador among others.

Right now, there are no brick-and-mortar Apple Stores in Brazil, but they do run eight "Stores within a store" complexes in association with Fnac (similar to the arrangement with Best Buy here in the USA). Brazilian customers have anticipated the real thing for a long time.

Here's hoping you get physical stores soon. Until then, enjoy your online shopping, Brazil!

[Via AppleInsider]

Filed under: Humor, Video, Odds and ends, Apple, Found Footage, Music

Found Footage: "I fell in love at the Apple Store"


Here's an earworm for you; hip-hop group FattySpins recorded a love song to ladies and to all things Apple, and filmed the video (above) at the landmark Apple Store Fifth Avenue.

The song manages to not only encompass a lot of Apple products in its lyrics, but also manages to poke some good fun at Microsoft. I mean, you've gotta love lyrics like:
"I know how to treat you – this ain't a reboot
I'll never find the need to Control ALT Delete you
I see no reason to mess with these slobs
Cause they're like Bill Gates... and I'm Steve Jobs
"
The Apple Store Love Song was written and produced by Ray William Johnson, the likable nebbish with the glasses in the video. There's no word on whether or not Apple is going to hire him to produce catchy viral raps for future ads.

[via CrunchGear]

Filed under: Retail, Internet, Apple

Apple store is down... and now back up

The online Apple store is currently down. Considering it's the middle of the weekend for folks in the Western Hemisphere, and considering that we haven't heard much in the way of rumors concerning new products or product updates, this is more than likely just a maintenance update. We'll be monitoring the store's status and try to determine what, if anything, has changed when it comes back up.

And... it's back up. Nothing much appears to have changed, aside from some reports of pricing changes on refurb iPods and the 'new' badges on some products.

Thanks to the many readers who sent this in.

Filed under: Retail, iPhone

Apple aims to ease iPhone purchasing at the Apple Store

While Apple has taken many steps to make the iPhone easier and more available to purchase, Apple could take more steps to make the process easier and quicker. MacRumors is reporting that Apple is about implement "iPhone Activation Zones" inside Apple Stores. They would included employees, which will be known as "iPhone Experts," who will be identified by unique clothing and name tags, and will be dedicated to activating and setting up iPhones for customers. Also, customers would be able to pre-authorize their purchase online and have their iPhone almost ready for them to purchase in-store. These optimizations could come as early as tomorrow, so keep your eye out for any changes.

Filed under: Retail, Odds and ends, Apple, Flickr Find

Flickr Find: Apple Store Carosello opening in Milan, Italy

Ahhhh, Milano! The name makes me think about the Milan Cathedral, La Scala, fashion models, and the aggressive drivers in that city. And now, when I think of Milan, I can also fondly think of the new Apple Store Carosello.

TUAW reader Filippo sent us a link to his Flickr gallery of the opening earlier today, which appears to have attracted a huge crowd of Apple fans. PhilApple, as he is known on Flickr, also captured the traditional "running of the geeks" in a short video upload. This is the well-known phenomenon in which the first customers are greeted by the applause, cheers, and general silliness of the Apple Store employees and other customers.

While I wish Apple had chosen to place the store in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in the Piazza Duomo, reputed to be the world's oldest shopping mall, I'm happy for the Milanese to now have their very own Apple Store. Grazie, Filippo, for this set of photos!

Filed under: Apple Corporate, Retail

Apple retail news: three new stores opened this weekend

While all of the attention this weekend was around the launch of Snow Leopard, Apple opened up three new retail stores; two new stores in the US and one in Germany.

First, the company opened a new store in Hamburg, Germany on Saturday, which is now Apple's second store in Germany, after the store in Munich opened last December.

Second, there's a new store in Dedham, Massachusetts at the Legacy Place shopping center. This store will be the ninth store in the state of Massachusetts.

Finally, Apple also opened up a new store at the Stonebriar shopping complex in Frisco, Texas. This store makes it the sixth store in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

If you live in or are near one of these areas, be sure to check out your new Apple Store. As always, we would love to hear your stories of your first visit or see your photos!

Tip of the Day

F11 moves all your windows off the screen so you can quickly glance at your desktop. F10 shows you every open window in an application. F9 shows every open window for every application that isn't hidden or in the dock.


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