Rumors of Massive Apple Retail Store for Paris as Virgin Vacates Prime Location

[MacRumors]

Business Insider points to a report [Google translation] from French newspaper Le Figaro noting that Virgin will be vacating its landmark retail store on Champs-Élysées in Paris and that Apple is one of the primary candidates rumored to be interested in taking the spot.

Interior of Virgin Megastore on Champs-Élysées (Source: Flickr/Ju_li_a)

The entire Virgin store checks in at roughly 75,000 square feet, with nearly 50,000 square feet of it dedicated to the sales floor. Apple's largest flagship retail stores at Regent Street and Covent Garden in London currently offer roughly 25,000 square feet of space, and while Apple could presumably opt to take only a portion of Virgin's space at the Paris location if it is indeed interested, the space certainly would give Apple an opportunity to build by far its largest retail store in a very prominent location.

It is also interesting to note a report from Hardmac claiming that Apple CEO Tim Cook was in Paris earlier this week for unknown reasons. There is obviously no specific evidence tying his rumored presence to the Virgin store vacancy, but those hoping that Apple might pursue the project are welcome to speculate about whether he may have been in town to personally survey the site amid other company business.

Article Link: Rumors of Massive Apple Retail Store for Paris as Virgin Vacates Prime Location

[h1r0ll3r]

Yeah, ALL state side stores suck compared to the ones overseas. The one closest to me is 1/10 that size and smells like feet and dirty laundry

[Consultant]

I'm surprised that this Virgin store lasted this long.

[Diode]

Kinda amusing they could be taking over the space of an industry they helped kill (record stores).

[Jobsian]

Beautiful location!

[Caliber26]

I wish they would have taken over the colossal space that Virgin vacated here in Orlando, at Downtown Disney (which is now being turned into a bowling alley). All we have are two little stores inside two different malls. I guess it's better than nothing.

[Shaun, UK]

It's a beautiful building inside. Very Apple. I used to shop there all the time when I lived in Paris. It's a local landmark and situated in a very prestigious location.

[toshmac]

Apple's minimalist approach would look better in that space anyway. The Virgin layout looks terribly cluttered.

[Nielsenius]

Looks like I'll be traveling to Paris! Okay, maybe not...

[ericinboston]

Apple couldn't fill that location with unique products if it tried. 1 table, 1 iPhone, 3 laptops, and 3 desktops. Not to mention there is practically 0 software sold anymore at Apple stores in the USA. Even the Accessories are barely in the stores.

Now, maybe Apple wants to fill the location with 500 tablets or something...but overall I think it would be a waste of space/money unless the price was superb.

The past 3 Apple stores I've walked into (2 in MA 1 in CT) feel like I could drive a small truck between each table...nice layout, nice colors, very clean...but feels really empty in regards to products.

Apple certainly has the money to pay for the Paris real estate...but I wonder how empty it would feel product-wise.

[GekkePrutser]

I want one in Ireland

[shootingrubber]

Originally Posted by Nielsenius

Looks like I'll be traveling to Paris! Okay, maybe not...

I hope they take this spot and it would make for a beautiful location. I love Paris. Was there last summer and going back again this summer. In fact, last summer I actually stayed on Champs Elysees.

[3N16MA]

Here is my quarterly post asking for a flagship store in Toronto.

[justperry]

I hope for parisians that it wouldn't be as ugly as it is now

Probably another eye catcher, like the one which will open tomorrow in Amsterdam.

[palouf]

hi,

in following article (french) http://lexpansion.lexpress.fr/high-t...in_285285.html
virgin says that virging flagship store in paris will not be sold.

Cheers

[kyjaotkb]

Tim Cook was in Paris to :
- attend hearings in a legal case between Apple and French Apple Premium Reseller eBizcuss
- probably discuss Kiosk issues with major newspaper

The Champs-Elysées location sounds a little overrated. I don't think many Parisians shop on the avenue. I don't know any. More likely tourists from Asia and Russia. But there are Apple Stores in Asia now. So 7000 m² for Russian tourists seems a tad big imho.

[tmdist]

Visited that store in November and had an iPad 1 in my bag. For some strange reason it would constantly ring at the entrance? It was a sign of an Apple Store to come...

[Eduardo1971]

As someone else mentioned, I'm too surprised that the Virgin store lasted as long as it did. It is sad to see the Virgin Megastore close ( I do love my records stores); but it will be ironic if Apple does indeed open a store at that location.

[justperry]

Originally Posted by GekkePrutser

I want one in Ireland

Were you not born in the netherlands, thought I read that in one of your posts, just settle in Amsterdam

[Foxer]

I went to that Virgin Megastore on a number of occassions. It'll be a beautiful Apple Store. I don't know how they'll fill it, but it will be nice.

[louis Fashion]

Originally Posted by kyjaotkb

The Champs-Elysées location sounds a little overrated. I don't think many Parisians shop on the avenue. I don't know any. More likely tourists from Asia and Russia. But there are Apple Stores in Asia now. So 7000 m² for Russian tourists seems a tad big imho.

You can buy any knock off (fashion, tech, etc) in Asia. But the Louis Vuitton shop in Paris is filled with Asians buying the real thing. Apparently, it is considered "cool" not to have a copy. So I guess 7000 quadrat meter is just right.

----------

Originally Posted by Diode

Kinda amusing they could be taking over the space of an industry they helped kill (record stores).

Yes. AAPL killed the CD star.

Yes. AAPL killed music that sounds like music and compressed the bandwidth to a tin sounding representation of what used to be.

Buy CDs and burn them into iTunes, take your ear buds and crush them under your hob nail boot heel. Buy good quality head phones. Enjoy music.

Music is not background noise. Music is joy.

[Antares]

I'd be curious to learn how Apple would go about filling such a large space.

[MonkeySee....]

Originally Posted by ericinboston

Apple couldn't fill that location with unique products if it tried. 1 table, 1 iPhone, 3 laptops, and 3 desktops. Not to mention there is practically 0 software sold anymore at Apple stores in the USA. Even the Accessories are barely in the stores.

Now, maybe Apple wants to fill the location with 500 tablets or something...but overall I think it would be a waste of space/money unless the price was superb.

The past 3 Apple stores I've walked into (2 in MA 1 in CT) feel like I could drive a small truck between each table...nice layout, nice colors, very clean...but feels really empty in regards to products.

Apple certainly has the money to pay for the Paris real estate...but I wonder how empty it would feel product-wise.

Apple Stores are great to shop in. I go in their when I don't even want to buy anything.

Would you rather it be like Primark?

[rkahl]

Seriously, do you really need that much space to display an iPod, iPad, Mac, and a couple of other things?

[davisjw]

Originally Posted by ericinboston

Apple couldn't fill that location with unique products if it tried. 1 table, 1 iPhone, 3 laptops, and 3 desktops. Not to mention there is practically 0 software sold anymore at Apple stores in the USA. Even the Accessories are barely in the stores.

Now, maybe Apple wants to fill the location with 500 tablets or something...but overall I think it would be a waste of space/money unless the price was superb.

The past 3 Apple stores I've walked into (2 in MA 1 in CT) feel like I could drive a small truck between each table...nice layout, nice colors, very clean...but feels really empty in regards to products.

Apple certainly has the money to pay for the Paris real estate...but I wonder how empty it would feel product-wise.

My thoughts exactly. But I'm done saying it won't work as Apple creates large spaces that only attract larger profits.

Perhaps Apple will move back toward a "life-style" store like the earlier ones that sold more accessories and software. I can see a store that carries Apple-approved cameras, backpacks, cases, etc.

They could also use part of the store to go back to the idea of presentations/how-tos when it comes to Apple products. They stopped them at the locations I'm near. So perhaps a theater would be appropriate.