Apple will have a flagship London store.

Giaguara

Giaguara

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http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFriendly/0,,1-5-999732,00.html



APPLE Computer is planning to open a giant flagship store on London’s Regent Street after striking a deal with the Crown Estate, the holding company for the Queen’s property assets, The Timeshas learnt.

The outlet, which will span 20,000 sq ft is expected to sell Apple’s entire product line including the iPod digital music player range and Apple notebooks and desktop computers. Apple stores also sell digital cameras and camcorders and hold free interactive workshops.




The outlet, which is expected to cost Apple about £1.5 million a year in rent, would be its first flagship store in Europe. So far it has just five other flagship stores based in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Tokyo and San Francisco. In total it has about 75 retail stores, mainly in the US.

The deal with the Crown Estate, forms part of an ambitious £500 million plan to improve Regent Street over the next ten years. Apple will take space in the Crown’s first redevelopment at 229-247 Regent Street. The store is expected to open in time for Christmas.

At the end of last month the Crown submitted applications for a scheme at the Piccadilly end of the street, which would involve redeveloping the Café Royal as a 5-star hotel and demolishing the Regent Palace Hotel and replacing it with shops and offices.

Cool, huh? ::angel::
 
Very... it's a great location... right near Piccadilly circus where all the tourists traverse, and right near Soho and Covent Garden, one of the creative hotspots of London. Do you reckon the Queen will get a free iBook thrown in with the deal?
 
Yipeeee!!! :D
I've got so bored of the apple retailers in london having such limited stocks and only the basic spec models much of the time.
Anyone wanna come to the opening day (whenever that finally is)? I'll definitely be down there celebrating and window shopping even if I'm too skint to buy stuff.

:)
 
I find it strange that local resellers outside of the USA have not been very proactive. They could have advanced Apple to work together to bring official Apple Stores to the public. Joint ventures would make great sense, I believe. Apple's interest: Bring the products to the masses. Resellers' interest: The very same. This way, we could have official Apple Stores around the world much faster.
 
I've been a few weeks ago to the actual "Apple Store" of London...

to have The Real Thing is great ... I will be there. Anyone else want to camp there the night before? Wear your macosx.com tees .. :D
 
I'll be there, exhorting passers-by to "think different".. :D

Never mind macosx.com t-shirts, where can I get a "Life is Short. get a Mac" t-shirt like Arden (Ithink) got at MWSF?

I'm such a fanboy... :rolleyes:
 
I got my shirt at Macworld Expo.

A flagship must have a fleet, right? Does this mean Apple will build a fleet in Europe?
 
Well its confirmed in Apples 2nd Quarter Financial Conference Call they said it "excited to announce a new apple store in Lodon" to open before the end of 2004! :p
 
If you search the forums I have posted this excellent site called www.ifoapplestore.com. It has been predicting all store openings (especially overseas stores) with a 100% accuracy at least a year ahead of time.
 
I hope they don't start selling clothes... Cause if they do Apple Corps who's initial store was a clothing boutique may raise some more eyebrows in jolly ole England. By the way how much is a taxi ride from Heathrow to Gatwick and or is their any shuttles that take your from one to the other.
 
mi5moav said:
By the way how much is a taxi ride from Heathrow to Gatwick and or is their any shuttles that take your from one to the other.
Click to expand...

There's a regular coach service between all the London airports, http://www.toandfrom.org/airport/london.html#LHR, or you can get the tube from Heathrow to Victoria Station and the Gatwick Express from there. Taxi? Don't know, but I'm guessing you'd be well on your way to a new iPod ...
 
Why would you want to go straight from Heathrow to Gatwick? I hope that isn't a changeover between flights (shiver). If it is, you can possibly save a little time by checking in your bags at Victoria (only for some airlines) before you get on the train to Gatwick (Assuming you're doing the tube/train route Lyra suggested - but be aware that is a very slow tube ride). It will avoid the nightmare of showing up to Gatwick in time, but getting trapped at overcrowded check in desks.

You can similarly check in for some Heathrow Flights from Paddington station (where the Heathrow express goes from). However it goes, hope you enjoy the big smoke.

Anyway, back on topic, i can't wait for the Apple Store, if only for a better place for drooling over Apple kit than MicroAnvika, which always irritates me with its not-quite up to standard Mac staff and not-quite big enough range.

Anyone up for a bit of a candlelight vigil when it opens?
 
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