Apple Plans First Berlin Store and Fourth San Francisco Store

[MacRumors]

Bloomberg reports that Apple is to open its first store in Berlin, in the upmarket shopping district of Ku'damm.

The store, for which Apple began hiring over a year ago, will be in a former movie theatre at Ku'damm 26, opposite the Hard Rock Cafe and close to the city's most famous department store, Kaufhaus des Westens. The area is home to Berlin's biggest concentration of luxury shops, including Hermes and Louis Vuitton.

San Francisco real-estate website Socketsite meanwhile reports that Apple is to open its fourth San Francisco, CA store at 400 Castro Street, a former Bank of America building recently vacated by Diesel after a reputed 50% hike in the rent. A separate area of the building has remained vacant for two years after a Sprint store closed, suggesting that Apple may plan to combine the two spaces.

The building featured in the 2008 movie Milk, starring Sean Penn as the gay rights activist Harvey Milk, the city's first openly gay supervisor who was assassinated in 1978. A memorial to Milk serves as the entrance to the subway station.

Update: Castro Biscuit reports that Apple is in fact not interested in the 400 Castro location, as it is too small for the company's needs.

Article Link: Apple Plans First Berlin Store and Fourth San Francisco Store

[Ivan0310]

My first thought was, "Apple doesn't already have a store in Berlin...?"

[RolyPolyBird]

Ku'damm is a lame location for an Apple store, it is a "has been" location. They should have found somewhere in Mitte.

And Gravis is going to be in serious trouble, they are going to have to diversify or something.

[Gen]

how about a store in lansing michigan instead? we don't have any here...

[GoCubsGo]

I like the SF site a lot.

[mono1980]

Originally Posted by Gen

how about a store in lansing michigan instead? we don't have any here...

Yeah, unfortunately we are in no man's land here. Can't get a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods either.

[this is funah]

Originally Posted by RolyPolyBird

Ku'damm is a lame location for an Apple store, it is a "has been" location. They should have found somewhere in Mitte.

And Gravis is going to be in serious trouble, they are going to have to diversify or something.

agree about the location. but regardless it'll make good business.

Gravis has known about this for quite some time... id like to see them at least try to carry on. They have been also selling amazon kindles and such.

[BSben]

Well, not bothered about the location in Berlin as long as it actually opens, unlike their new airport...

[olup]

Originally Posted by this is funah

agree about the location. but regardless it'll make good business.

Gravis has known about this for quite some time... id like to see them at least try to carry on. They have been also selling amazon kindles and such.

I wonder, if Apple is aware of Gravis, well probably, but it will be interesting what percentage Apple will be able to cut from Gravis' customers. I can't really imagine, Apple snatching up all those loyal customers of Gravis. These guys have been in town for a looooong time.

As for the location, Ku'damm has always been somewhat upscale, but also really lame and off the map for people living in the eastern part of the city. Would I be willing to take an hour trip to the Apple store? Maybe. Apple definitely knows where the €€€ is at though.

[RenoG]

Opening a store in the SF castro district is a very strategic move...

[MNT]

That building in SF is right across from the Castro Theater, right in the middle of the Castro District at the intersection of Market and Castro. Great location for a store. I hope they're bringing back the rainbow logo for this one!

[tatonka]

Originally Posted by olup

I wonder, if Apple is aware of Gravis, well probably, but it will be interesting what percentage Apple will be able to cut from Gravis' customers. I can't really imagine, Apple snatching up all those loyal customers of Gravis. These guys have been in town for a looooong time.

As for the location, Ku'damm has always been somewhat upscale, but also really lame and off the map for people living in the eastern part of the city. Would I be willing to take an hour trip to the Apple store? Maybe. Apple definitely knows where the €€€ is at though.

The question is what you could gain from going there over say a Gravis store. I don't go into Apples Stores a lot although we have two in the close vicinity, but they are are horribly crowded most of the time and one can get most of the stuff they sell elsewhere too. I usually go to a small Apple premium reseller around the corner and find much better service there.

[bacaramac]

Originally Posted by MNT

That building in SF is right across from the Castro Theater, right in the middle of the Castro District at the intersection of Market and Castro. Great location for a store. I hope they're bringing back the rainbow logo for this one!

Haha, didn't even think about that. The old school Apple logo. I'm sure if they did someone will find a way to sue them over it. Just the way things work.

[RolyPolyBird]

Originally Posted by this is funah

agree about the location. but regardless it'll make good business.

Gravis has known about this for quite some time... id like to see them at least try to carry on. They have been also selling amazon kindles and such.

When I saw them building at Ernst-Reuter-Platz I just assumed they must have had a deal with Apple. That Apple have chosen to place the store in the same vicinity as Gravis just seems cruel, especially given that it would have been better placed in Mitte.

In typical German retailing arrogance you still can not use credit cards in any of their stores, I remember finding that strange when I was first in Gravis in 2003. The costs of the Ernst-Reuter-Platz location can't come cheap, nor their two other new locations and I had a WTF reaction when I noticed the Schloßstraße one pop up.

Whenever I hear Gravis brought up in discussion there are two constant themes -overpriced accessories and the staff are fanboy wankers. All their efforts of the last years are going to go to waste. Apple will trump their retail experience, and all they will have left are the business and pro customers who don't care for their gimmicks.

Not going to end well.

[nathanjbrown]

Originally Posted by MNT

That building in SF is right across from the Castro Theater, right in the middle of the Castro District at the intersection of Market and Castro. Great location for a store. I hope they're bringing back the rainbow logo for this one!

That's actually a great idea! I think the community would love it. Apple could, at the very least, use the rainbow logo on the pre-launch "skin" they'll inevitably put around the building while its under construction.

Great location. They'll do well there.

[colmaclean]

Typical timing - I currently work just round the corner from the Berlin location but am starting a new job in Mitte come March!

Hard to say what will become of Gravis. As a comparison, when the Glasgow Apple Store opened, the main local Apple reseller (Scotsys) collapsed rather quickly.

However, Berlin has around twice the population of Glasgow (and surrounds), so perhaps there is space in the pond for a few smaller fish.

[SirHaakon]

Originally Posted by bacaramac

Haha, didn't even think about that. The old school Apple logo. I'm sure if they did someone will find a way to sue them over it. Just the way things work.

How could someone sue them over that?

[mockbrown]

The construction of the Berlin/Ku'damm store has been going on for over a year now, so the opening is well overdue... Apple posted a job ad for the store several months ago.

More pics over on 4sq: http://berlinow.eu/11fY18E

[quasibinaer]

Originally Posted by RolyPolyBird

Ku'damm is a lame location for an Apple store, it is a "has been" location. They should have found somewhere in Mitte.

And Gravis is going to be in serious trouble, they are going to have to diversify or something.

I second that. Not to mention that Ku´damm isn´t an especially upmarket area. Hermes and the likes are there because they´ve been there wince before the fall of the wall and Kudamm used to be west berlins center. Same goes for the Hard Rock Cafe and the KaDeWe (hence the name). The hip crowds are in other areas of town, but I guess they´re not the ones Apple is after...

[Junipr]

Originally Posted by MNT

That building in SF is right across from the Castro Theater, right in the middle of the Castro District at the intersection of Market and Castro. Great location for a store. I hope they're bringing back the rainbow logo for this one!

This would be insanely great and fabulous

[olup]

Originally Posted by tatonka

The question is what you could gain from going there over say a Gravis store. I don't go into Apples Stores a lot although we have two in the close vicinity, but they are are horribly crowded most of the time and one can get most of the stuff they sell elsewhere too. I usually go to a small Apple premium reseller around the corner and find much better service there.

Well there are similarities between the two, so it's not like Best Buy vs. Apple.The Gravis store is also very crowded, especially on weekends, which is why it will be interesting to see, how the whole thing turns out for both of them. I personally wouldn't really want to make a trip to an Apple store, unless it is really necessary, maybe just out of curiousity. But the premium reseller and certified repair shop in my neighborhood is really helpful and nice, so I don't really see the point of making an hour trip to the other side of the city, just to go to the Apple store.

[dampfnudel]

Originally Posted by RolyPolyBird

Ku'damm is a lame location for an Apple store, it is a "has been" location. They should have found somewhere in Mitte.

And Gravis is going to be in serious trouble, they are going to have to diversify or something.

The Ku'damm is like 5th Ave. here in my hometown of NYC. Other shopping areas like Soho have become more popular, especially with the under 50 crowd but, 5th Ave. still has a lot of cachet, which is important to Apple, hence why there is an Apple store on it.

[louis Fashion]

Originally Posted by RolyPolyBird

Ku'damm is a lame location for an Apple store, it is a "has been" location. They should have found somewhere in Mitte.
.

Sad but true: But in the old days, we would sit at the bar at Hagenstr. 5 and
teach the girls to sing.

"O' there is no dam like the Ku' damm."

Alas.

----------

Originally Posted by mono1980

Yeah, unfortunately we are in no man's land here. Can't get a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods either.

Move. You are living in hell.

[RolyPolyBird]

Originally Posted by louis Fashion

in the old days, we would sit at the bar at Hagenstr. 5 and teach the girls to sing.

I don't think you are giving us the whole story!

[Gemütlichkeit]

Originally Posted by Ivan0310

My first thought was, "Apple doesn't already have a store in Berlin...?"

came here to post this same thing haha