Apple Stores Closed for Remodeling (MN, VA)

[MacRumors]

Two Apple Stores are closing for remodeling during late October: Mall of America (http://www.apple.com/retail/mallofamerica/) in Bloomington, MN and Tysons Corner (http://www.apple.com/retail/tysons/) in Mclean, VA.

The Mall of America store is closing from October 6th-November 11 while the Tysons Corner Apple Store will be closed from October 13-November 17th.

Both stores sent emails to customers claiming that "During this time, we'll be making a few improvements, including a larger theater, to make your Apple Store experience better than ever."

The stores were first opened in Aug 2001 (Mall of America) and May 2001 (Tysons Corner).

While the remodeling is of no specific significance, the dates overlap tentative rumored dates (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2003/10/20031001164435.shtml) for a Panther release. There have also been a report indicating that Apple Store managers may be in an out of town conference (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2003/10/20031002115740.shtml) during the last week of October.

[Makosuke]

Huh... seems like an awfully long time to shut down, but I suppose that's the way retail works.

Hope this doesn't reflect on a possible Panther release date, but I'd expect not--not like you'd reschedule major construction (which they probably want done pre holiday season, of course) around a software release, or vice versa.

[miradu]

What? My apple store is closing?!?! Almost all of october... the store is already like perfect, why do they need to change it. *sob* *sob*... luckily I have another one 10 miles furthur down the road past MOA.

[Rocketman]

I'm just glad it's from the mews department at Macrumors.

Rocketman

[Foxer]

I wouldn't worry too much about a possible conflict with Panther. Both stores are in areas with multiple Apple Stores, and there are pleanty of other places to get Panther, anyway.

[alset]

I can't understand such a long shutdown to remodel. They must have something pretty big in store. Let's hope whatever it is, it's great and it spreads to the rest of the stores.

Dan

[dho]

its too bad we will just have to wiat this out to figure out what it realy means

ahhhh

[big]

"Closing for remodal" they say....

I bet its all for Panther, leaving both stores opening Nov 13 or somewhere in between....

[mislabeledstar]

on a side note, the san francisco store is finally a hole in the ground and hopefully they'll be building up soon

[coolbreeze]

Originally posted by mislabeledstar
on a side note, the san francisco store is finally a hole in the ground and hopefully they'll be building up soon
Yeah, no kidding. I was working out there last week and was shocked to see that there was no store...rather an apple logo on a construction site (walkway underneath). A surprise to say the least.:confused:

By the way. I made it to Cupertino while I was there. I'll post my phots later!!!:cool:

[Blind Pig 76]

I would not expect anything special to happen in conjunction to the remodel of either store. Most well managed retail stores will undergo periodic mini remodels every three to five years, and major remodels every seven to ten years. Mini remodels usually involve just basic maintenance such as carpet replacement, repainting, minor expansions, and any other repair work that might be needed at the time. Major remodels usually involve gutting out the store and rebuilding from scratch.

The out of town conference is also nothing that anyone should get too excited about. Most retail chains hold annual holiday kickoff meetings in October to help boost moral and to bring everyone on to the same page before the holiday rush.

Just my $0.02

[cnladd]

I don't know much about the Virginia store, but I'd expect something like this from the Mall of America store.

The MoA store is a wonderful store and sees an incredible amount of visitors each day due to its location. It's understandable that this store would have a planned remodel, especially since it opened in 2001. Many stores in the Mall tend to go through a month-long remodeling period every few years in order to maintain "freshness".

I used to live just a few miles from the Mall and, like many in the Twin Cities, went there on a weekly basis the way most people would go to any regular Mall. I almost wish I were living in the Twin Cities again so I could see what the store looks like afterwards.

Almost.

[paulc]

Usually, when a retail chain operation is losing 8 million dollars per year, they don't such things UNLESS the store(s) are so ratty and tattered that they turn customers away. Based on the store in SoHo (NY) I see that it is so well maintained that it still looks spotless. This is all quite unnecessary..

[tomf87]

Originally posted by Foxer
I wouldn't worry too much about a possible conflict with Panther. Both stores are in areas with multiple Apple Stores, and there are pleanty of other places to get Panther, anyway.

The stores in VA are almost 2 - 3 hours apart from each other. I doubt this will affect it still.

[littlemacdude]

If their closing those Apple stores do u think they would do it a few for each reigon, maybe it's leading up to something big

[curtian4]

Originally posted by tomf87
The stores in VA are almost 2 - 3 hours apart from each other. I doubt this will affect it still.

actually, the clarendon store is only about 15/20 minutes (without traffic) from the tyson's corner store. just a little fyi.

[kirk26]

At least the store in Arlington, VA where I live is still open.:D

[ClimbingTheLog]

I bet this has more to do with iTunes than with Panther.

With the Windows release of iTMS coming down the pike and 60% of americans still on modems, I envision a row of Macs where people can go in, log in, download their music fast onto their iPods and get out. No cashier required.

They get their music convieniently, they get exposure to Macs ("hey this thing ain't so bad"), and they get people into the store, all for the cost of a few machines, at cost, and a couple T1's.

Winning plan.

[mrwilly123]

Originally posted by ClimbingTheLog
I bet this has more to do with iTunes than with Panther.

With the Windows release of iTMS coming down the pike and 60% of americans still on modems, I envision a row of Macs where people can go in, log in, download their music fast onto their iPods and get out. No cashier required.

They get their music convieniently, they get exposure to Macs ("hey this thing ain't so bad"), and they get people into the store, all for the cost of a few machines, at cost, and a couple T1's.

Winning plan.

but not gonna happen. if you still have dialup, youre not the kind of person that is gonna buy music from an apple store, or even have heard about the apple store.

[mxpiazza]

the new apple store in Lyndhurst, Ohio at Legacy Village (about 10 minutes outside Cleveland) opens, as well as the rest of legacy village, on October 24th, which is the rumored launch date of Panther. I'd go to vegas with that rumor... what better way to open up a new apple store in a previously untouched area? check it out:

www.legacy-village.com (http://www.legacy-village.com)

[Foxer]

Originally posted by tomf87
The stores in VA are almost 2 - 3 hours apart from each other. I doubt this will affect it still.

Tysons and Clarendon aren't 2-3 hours apart, unless the moved NOVA around since I lived there. More like 30 an hour with bad traffic.

edit: Opps. Someone beat me to this. Sorry.

[snahabed]

The Tysons Corner Store was one of the (if not the) first Apple Stores.... but I was just there recently and it looked 100% fine... spotless, same as when it opened. I don't know why they have to close down the store just to upgrade the theatre area in the back, and i dont understand why it would take over a month.

I mean, I don't care, I can go to Clarendon, no skin off my back, but still, it's quite curious to kill off over a month of heavy traffic in a mall without having something bigger in store. Hmm.

[Doctor Q]

I'm glad to hear that they remodel the Apple Stores once in a while. Every store needs "freshening up" once in a while. I always gripe when they close a store (or a whole mall) for remodeling near me, thinking "it's fine the way it is", but once it's done I usually appreciate the differences.

[achmafooma]

Originally posted by snahabed
The Tysons Corner Store was one of the (if not the) first Apple Stores.... but I was just there recently and it looked 100% fine... spotless, same as when it opened. I don't know why they have to close down the store just to upgrade the theatre area in the back, and i dont understand why it would take over a month.

I mean, I don't care, I can go to Clarendon, no skin off my back, but still, it's quite curious to kill off over a month of heavy traffic in a mall without having something bigger in store. Hmm.
That's what I was about to say. Bought my first Mac (Quicksilver G4) in August of 2001 at the Tysons store, have bought an iBook there. Bought the FCP4 upgrade there a week or two ago.

It's the perfect shopping experience... I can't imagine why they'd have to close it for a month... seems suspicious to me.

Why remodel a beautiful store?

The "making a bigger theater" excuse doesn't fly with me, either something is up or Apple is overdoing it. They could nonchalantly redo the back of the store without closing it.

[earthsaver]

Take note that the last week of October is after the rumored release dates, Oct 24 & 25. I'm not so worried. Maybe the managers are going out of town just after the release, such as Monday the 27th.

[SiliconAddict]

Think I'm going to head over to the MoA and see if I can get any details tomorrow. I'd like to know what they are going to do. That and I'd like to play around with the new PowerBooks. :)

[Phil Of Mac]

THE APPLE STORE IS CLOSING FOR MAINTENANCE! NEW PRODUCTS MUST BE COMING OUT! LOOK OUT!!!

...oh, wait. Never mind, it's a physical store this time.

*goes about his life just like usual*

[SiliconAddict]

Originally posted by tomf87
The stores in VA are almost 2 - 3 hours apart from each other. I doubt this will affect it still.

The ones here in MN are about 15-20 minutes apart. I hope the people at the store are smart enough to put up a sign in front that gives directions to the other store. Granted people may just say screw it but for those interested in actually picking up a Mac that day...

[latergator116]

They need to put an Apple store in Providence, RI!!!!!!!!!!!!

[WM.]

Originally posted by mrwilly123
if you still have dialup, youre not the kind of person that is gonna buy music from an apple store, or even have heard about the apple store.
We still have dialup. I've bought 25 songs from the iTMS over that connection.

WM

[SiliconAddict]

I talked to a few guys at length at the Mall of America store. The refresh is nothing but refinishing the store to make the decor similar to the new stores that have been opened lately. As to what they are planning they didn't say and honestly *shrugs* Whatever happens, happens. Its just a remodel after all.

PS- The new PowerBooks are sweet. Dang. I was 100% certain that I wanted a surfboard...er 17" now. Well now that 15" is looking pretty dang tempting. Hmmm. I still want a G5 though. *pouts and sits in a corner* ;)

[ClimbingTheLog]

Originally posted by mrwilly123
but not gonna happen. if you still have dialup, youre not the kind of person that is gonna buy music from an apple store, or even have heard about the apple store.

So, which of these is true:
a) Everybody who wants broadband can get broadband, leaving only computer lamers to have dial-up.
-or-
b) Apple isn't interested in selling music to 60% of the country.

One of these has to be true for your statement to make sense.

[rueyeet]

Originally posted by ClimbingTheLog
I bet this has more to do with iTunes than with Panther.

With the Windows release of iTMS coming down the pike and 60% of americans still on modems, I envision a row of Macs where people can go in, log in, download their music fast onto their iPods and get out. No cashier required.
Except for the fact that iPod syncing is still only one-way, from only one Mac at a time. So you'd have to make the store's Mac your iPod's "primary" Mac to download any iTunes purchases (and you'd have to authorize the store Mac for your account too) and that would wipe your own music library off your iPod. Then you'd have no way to get the purchased songs off the iPod onto your own Mac once you got home, without using some sort of third-party program.

And just imagine if you forgot to de-authorize the store Mac before you left...

Nice idea, but highly impractical unless iPod syncing and the FairPlay DRM were changed to allow it. What you could do though, is have CD-Rs available in the store and just burn the protected AAC files on those, and take them with you. You'd still have to authorize/de-authorize the store Mac though.

[Phil Of Mac]

Originally posted by rueyeet
Except for the fact that iPod syncing is still only one-way, from only one Mac at a time. So you'd have to make the store's Mac your iPod's "primary" Mac to download any iTunes purchases (and you'd have to authorize the store Mac for your account too) and that would wipe your own music library off your iPod. Then you'd have no way to get the purchased songs off the iPod onto your own Mac once you got home, without using some sort of third-party program.

And just imagine if you forgot to de-authorize the store Mac before you left...

Nice idea, but highly impractical unless iPod syncing and the FairPlay DRM were changed to allow it. What you could do though, is have CD-Rs available in the store and just burn the protected AAC files on those, and take them with you. You'd still have to authorize/de-authorize the store Mac though.

Even on the iPod it would be a great idea. Yes, they'd have to change things to make it work. Your point? Apple isn't above changing things to make this sort of thing work if it's a good idea.

That said, most Apple Stores are around major urban areas where broadband is already widely available...

[mrwilly123]

Originally posted by Phil Of Mac

That said, most Apple Stores are around major urban areas where broadband is already widely available...
thats what i meant^

[macdong]

Does anybody know how many retail stores Apple have in US right now?

[ddbean]

Originally posted by macdong
Does anybody know how many retail stores Apple have in US right now?

quote:All 65 Apple retail stores will host “Night of the Panther” kick-off events with free gifts, great savings, theater demos and a chance to win a Mac.

[Superdrive]

Originally posted by SiliconAddict
I talked to a few guys at length at the Mall of America store. The refresh is nothing but refinishing the store to make the decor similar to the new stores that have been opened lately. As to what they are planning they didn't say and honestly *shrugs* Whatever happens, happens. Its just a remodel after all...

So what is different between the Southdale and MOA? To me, these two stores look identical (discounting size of course). I bet something new is in store...
(pun intended)

[Sayhey]

Originally posted by macdong
Does anybody know how many retail stores Apple have in US right now?

Two more opened the same night as the Panther release and two more are opening on the 1st of November. By the Thanksgiving holiday there will be, according to Apple CFO Anderson, 73 stores.

I wouldn't put much into the remodeling. I've read that some of the older stores are having problems with the original wooden flooring and that has to be changed. I think also it is just a update of the look of some of the older stores.

Remember that in his quarterly financial report, Anderson said the stores are now making a profit. I don't think any are in danger of closing on anything but a temporary basis.