Covent Garden Retail Store Closing Early for Tuesday's Media Event

MacRumors · Sep 28, 2011

Apple has notified staff members at its massive Covent Garden retail store in London that the store will be closing early next Tuesday in order to accommodate a press gathering to view a simulcast of Apple's "Let's Talk iPhone" media event. The store will be closing at 3:30 PM on Tuesday, significantly earlier than its usual 9:00 PM closing time. The media event will begin at 6:00 PM London time.

Hello Team,

As we begin to start a very exciting quarter in Apple Retail, I am pleased to let you know that our Covent Garden Store will be hosting a keynote streaming event next Tuesday 4th October. This event will be a press only event and currently we have no further details on what will be presented. The store will be closing at 3.30pm to accommodate this.

This is a really exciting event for our store and we are passionate about delivering an outstanding Covent Garden experience.

Apple has in the past hosted press gatherings in London for its media events, although they have generally been held in off-site locations and not at any of Apple's retail stores.

Article Link: Covent Garden Retail Store Closing Early for Tuesday's Media Event

Jayse · Sep 28, 2011

"Sorry shoppers, we're about to watch a live video so could you all please GTFO!"

Peace · Sep 28, 2011

So does this mean it's possible someone could capture the video stream ?

DaMike8 · Sep 28, 2011

Just imagine all the people with their faces smudged on the glass doors of the Apple Store watching the live streaming of the keynote

CosmoPilot · Sep 28, 2011

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Things are heating up!

Pooshka · Sep 28, 2011

Wait, the store is closing just so the workers could peacefully sit down and watch the keynote live on their Macs???? lulz

Is the whole Europe like that? I mean treating the workers so royally?

kiwiboi87 · Sep 28, 2011

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There must be something big in the keynote for them to shut down a store??

Peace · Sep 28, 2011

kiwiboi87 said:
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There must be something big in the keynote for them to shut down a store??

Not really. They chose that store for the press.

fbartram · Sep 28, 2011

surely this will confirm that we won't just be seeing an upgraded iPhone 4.

rikscha · Sep 28, 2011

Pooshka said:
Wait, the store is closing just so the workers could peacefully sit down and watch the keynote live on their Macs???? lulz

Is the whole Europe like that? I mean treating the workers so royally?

yes, that is the case, oh and we only work 4 days a week.

rowley · Sep 28, 2011

DaMike8 said:
Just imagine all the people with their faces smudged on the glass doors of the Apple Store watching the live streaming of the keynote

From the Front Doors of the Covent Garden Store, you cannot see the big screen, unfortunately. Im wondering why they are not doing it in the Regent Street Store, which I thought was the London Flagship Store.

daviddth · Sep 29, 2011

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rikscha said:
Pooshka said:

Wait, the store is closing just so the workers could peacefully sit down and watch the keynote live on their Macs???? lulz

Is the whole Europe like that? I mean treating the workers so royally?

Click to expand...

yes, that is the case, oh and we only work 4 days a week.

4 days a week? You poor sods! I only work 3, but they are 12 hours long per day, 35hr week

zin · Sep 29, 2011

Pooshka said:
Wait, the store is closing just so the workers could peacefully sit down and watch the keynote live on their Macs???? lulz

Is the whole Europe like that? I mean treating the workers so royally?

If you actually read the article you'll notice that it's for British press who could not otherwise be at the actual event in California, or because they'd like a larger press presence from other countries, not exclusively for store employees.

Reason077 · Sep 29, 2011

rowley said:
From the Front Doors of the Covent Garden Store, you cannot see the big screen, unfortunately. Im wondering why they are not doing it in the Regent Street Store, which I thought was the London Flagship Store.

Regent Street and Covent Garden are both flagship stores. Covent Garden is actually a bit bigger than Regent Street, though its spread out over several floors instead of being one big space.

RedTomato · Sep 29, 2011

Reason077 said:
Regent Street and Covent Garden are both flagship stores. Covent Garden is actually a bit bigger than Regent Street, though its spread out over several floors instead of being one big space.

But Regent Street has the mini-cinema / presentation space, which seats around 50-100, and it could be closed to the public while still allowing the rest of the store to be open.

Covent Garden doesn't have much seating space, though I guess they could fill the galley with the press. I wouldn't like to stand through a 2 hour presentation while trying to take notes.

jon1987 · Sep 29, 2011

RedTomato said:
But Regent Street has the mini-cinema / presentation space, which seats around 50-100, and it could be closed to the public while still allowing the rest of the store to be open.

Covent Garden doesn't have much seating space, though I guess they could fill the galley with the press. I wouldn't like to stand through a 2 hour presentation while trying to take notes.

I'm sure they will have thought of seating. Not to worry.

Matbe · Sep 29, 2011

I'm taking this as news that they won't be live streaming over the web. If they were the press could just watch from their own offices surely.

Xenc · Sep 29, 2011

Matbe said:
I'm taking this as news that they won't be live streaming over the web. If they were the press could just watch from their own offices surely.

I think the last live stream (September 2010) also had a similar London press event. That way Apple can physically invite the press. So it's no indicator of a live stream or not.

Reason077 · Sep 29, 2011

RedTomato said:
Covent Garden doesn't have much seating space, though I guess they could fill the galley with the press. I wouldn't like to stand through a 2 hour presentation while trying to take notes.

They're closing 2 1/2 hours ahead, which should give plenty of time to set up some temporary seating!

kolax · Sep 29, 2011

Guess that means there'll be no live stream for the rest of us then if they are selecting a location for additional press.

Was really hoping they'd stream it for the rest of us. You'd still get the press and tech blogs going to the actual keynote for both the experience and the "hands on" and Q and A sessions.

GaryMumford · Sep 29, 2011

Closing early will give them time to set up the seating... and while the event is on they can prepare the store with all the new promotional stuff and set up some displays with the new hardware (for demo purposes only of course)

RedTomato · Sep 29, 2011

GaryMumford said:
Closing early will give them time to set up the seating... and while the event is on they can prepare the store with all the new promotional stuff and set up some displays with the new hardware (for demo purposes only of course)

True, if they clear out enough tables, it could create a nice bear-pit style atmosphere, with press on the ground floor and in the galley on two sides. The aesthetics of the central space at Covent Garden are certainly a bit nicer than the cinema space at Regent Street.

darbus69 · Sep 29, 2011

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daviddth said:
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rikscha said:

Pooshka said:

Wait, the store is closing just so the workers could peacefully sit down and watch the keynote live on their Macs???? lulz

Is the whole Europe like that? I mean treating the workers so royally?

Click to expand...

yes, that is the case, oh and we only work 4 days a week.

Click to expand...

4 days a week? You poor sods! I only work 3, but they are 12 hours long per day, 35hr week

one up you - I am one of the lucky "American Dreamers" ( they keep telling us to chase the american dream, it's a scam-worked 16/7 and lost it all during the recession) and now I am lucky to get 15 hours a week at an American mega-corporate grocery store chain! Anyone in the UK need a talented American in need of work? Covent Garden Store here I come!

Macman45 · Sep 29, 2011

Four Day's?

rikscha said:
yes, that is the case, oh and we only work 4 days a week.

I only do a couple of hours, then hang round the Apple Store

MacBookNoobie · Sep 29, 2011

daviddth said:
4 days a week? You poor sods! I only work 3, but they are 12 hours long per day, 35hr week

Hope you realise that you are working 47 hrs overtime! http://cdn.macrumors.com/vb/images/smilies/eek.gif (assuming that you have 5 weeks holiday a year)

Covent Garden Retail Store Closing Early for Tuesday's Media Event

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