Apple to open three new retail stores this Saturday

[MacBytes]

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Category: Apple Services
Link: Apple to open three new retail stores this Saturday (http://www.macbytes.com/link.php?sid=20050531213631)

Posted on MacBytes.com (http://www.macbytes.com)
Approved by arn

[Flying Llama]

Yay! Now I have an Apple Store in Santa Monica, The Grove AND Century City... cool! :)

But happy as I am I think Apple has enough stores in California and should concentrate on having their store more spread-out...

[tech4all]

Cool. But does California really need more Apple Stores? (YES! :D) I alone have at least 4 Apple Stores (3 regular, 1 mini) within a 30 minutes drive of me. I feel sorry for people in states that only have 1 or no Apple Stores in their state :(

[puckhead193]

cool, anyone going????

[narco]

What, so there's now 10 Apple stores within a 30 mile radius from my house? The closest of which is right down the street? Gotta love California. I'll be at the Century City opening.

Fishes,
narco.

[Flying Llama]

What, so there's now 10 Apple stores within a 30 mile radius from my house? The closest of which is right down the street? Gotta love California. I'll be at the Century City opening.

Fishes,
narco.

Hey, I will be too! :)
Maybe i'll recognize you, maybe I won't. ;)
We (the MacRumors community) should have some sort of wristband or something... ;)

[nagromme]

I'll be down the street from an Apple Store soon :D But it's me moving, not them...

[wdlove]

I wonder if this will be a record number of Apple Store openings in one day? Apple is just using good business sense and placing stores where the most customers are located. Just seems that California is the Mecca of Mac Geeks.

[betelgeuse1]

I'll be at the Bridgeport Village opening in Portland. The Pioneer Place store in downtown should be open sometime this summer too, from what I've read.

Anyone know if they offer different size shirts at the opening, or if they are all one size?

[narco]

Hey, I will be too! :)
Maybe i'll recognize you, maybe I won't. ;)
We (the MacRumors community) should have some sort of wristband or something... ;)

Can't miss a guy with cat ears!

Fishes,
narco.

[solvs]

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=128847

[Doctor Q]

1. The front of the Century City store, between a Limited Too (clothing) store and a not-yet-opened Coach (handbag) store.

2. Grand Opening sign in doorway, shortly before 10am.

3. The first three in line. Herschel (left) arrived last night but they wouldn't let him stay in front of the store. The man second in line arrived at 6am this morning but let Herschel return to his place in front after hearing his story. At least one person in line came down from the San Francisco area for this opening.

4. Inside of the store before the opening. The store is one story and felt very long and skinny. The Genius Bar is long (on the right) and there is no theater area. The cashier area is against the far wall.

5. Busy shoppers. The doors opened just before 10am, as Hershel and the rest of us marched in to clapping Apple employees, some of whom were brought in from other Apple stores (including from San Diego) for this opening. For many people, time in the store was limited by the Century City parking rates: free for up to 2:59 (hours:minutes) but $7 for 3:01!

[Doctor Q]

6. My new T-shirt. The Apple staff handed them out as we came in. The shirts came in 3.5" by 3.5" by 6" boxes. I'd say there were a couple hundred of us in line (I was among the first dozen), so everyone there at opening time got a free T-shirt.

There were no discounts or giveaways other than the T-shirts and a chance to enter the drawing that started today.

[puckhead193]

Doctor Q, did they give out any shirts or anything?

edit - That's answers my question....
boring shirts.....

[wdlove]

Very nice pictures Doctor Q. I'm impressed that you were among the first 12 to enter the new store. How much ahead of the opening did you arrive?

I think that I like the white T-Shirts with the blue logo and lettering. The one that we received here in the Boston area.

That isn't bad that they allow two hours free. At the CambridgeSide Galleria its only one hour.

Just happy that the Chestnut Hill Mall is closer. Also free parking.

[narco]

I waited three hours in line and all I got was this stupid shirt!

It was pleasant in Century City, a place I don't venture off to that often. I really wish they'd make an Apple store in Hollywood since I hate going to the Glendale Galleria or The Grove. Always so busy.

As far as the parking went, I just told them I spent $250+ (even though I only spent $20 on a car-charger for my sister's iPod) and they let me go for free.

Next up: Apple store in the Beverly Center and Manhattan Beach.

Fishes,
narco.

[Doctor Q]

I really wish they'd make an Apple store in Hollywood since I hate going to the Glendale Galleria or The Grove.

Next up: Apple store in the Beverly Center and Manhattan Beach.Yes, Beverly Center. And I wouldn't be surprised if they were sniffing at Hollywood and Highland too.

wdlove: I was there 2 hours ahead of time, since I didn't think they would let people line up much before then. The time passes very quickly when you have friendly Mac-people to talk to.

[JDOG_]

Sorry these are soo late...been napping and too lazy to get them off my camera to post.

http://public.fotki.com/Jlowenso/apple_store_opening/

I'd post them on here, but the 100k limit is a killer. Anybody have a good automator workflow to re-size pictures? Enjoy!

[narco]

Yes, Beverly Center. And I wouldn't be surprised if they were sniffing at Hollywood and Highland too.

wdlove: I was there 2 hours ahead of time, since I didn't think they would let people line up much before then. The time passes very quickly when you have friendly Mac-people to talk to.

Yeah, i didn't even think about Hollywood and Highland. I live right down the street from that. Only bad thing is that I always see Ron Jeremy eating at the California Pizza Kitchen there.

If you arrived 2 hours prior, then you must have been behind me. There should be some kind of way to spot out other forum members at these things. But then again, I frequent so many different forums, that'll probably be a bad idea.

Fishes,
narco.

[janey]

the beverly center apple store makes no sense to me. you can see the beverly center from the grove. and vice versa. they're that close. wtf? you could practically walk that distance (well...it would take you a few hours maybe...but take the bus and get there in a few minutes! or take your car! plenty of parking! :p )

and damn, i missed the century city opening :( stupid SAT IIs. what is that now though...6 apple stores in the los angeles area? hehe.

[wdlove]

wdlove: I was there 2 hours ahead of time, since I didn't think they would let people line up much before then. The time passes very quickly when you have friendly Mac-people to talk to.

That's not bad at all. Exact same time as we had with the Tiger opening. It is very true the time passes quickly when you have other Mac individuals to visit with.

Did you also have people walking by asking what the line was for? I enjoyed that part also.

[Doctor Q]

That's not bad at all. Exact same time as we had with the Tiger opening. It is very true the time passes quickly when you have other Mac individuals to visit with.

Did you also have people walking by asking what the line was for? I enjoyed that part also.We did for Tiger, we especially did for Panther, but none yesterday. On Panther night, we had many people asking what the huge line was for. When we explained, some nodded and understood but many walked away shrugging.

[narco]

That's not bad at all. Exact same time as we had with the Tiger opening. It is very true the time passes quickly when you have other Mac individuals to visit with.

Did you also have people walking by asking what the line was for? I enjoyed that part also.

Just like with Tiger, a lot of people made "Star Wars" jokes, saying that they were waiting in line for weeks in the wrong area. Some said it was line for a Bloomingdale's sale.

Fishes,
narco.

[Doctor Q]

I usually tell people the real reason I'm in a line, but if I need a joke I say we're all waiting for vaccinations.