Apple to Open Spacious New Store at Century City in Los Angeles as Part of Mall's $1 Billion Modernization

[MacRumors]

Apple is constructing a spacious new retail store at Westfield Century City in Los Angeles, California, as part of the shopping mall's $1 billion expansion and modernization plans, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Apple's upcoming retail store at Westfield Century City​

Apple will be in a prime location at the center of the mall, described as the crossroads of the project. The new store will be next to indoor bike company Peloton, and opposite an upcoming Rolex watch store, the person said.

It's unclear when the new store will open, but Westfield expects to complete the final phase of the mall's renovation plans by the end of the year. Given that timeline, Apple's grand opening should be no later than in the spring.

Apple's current store at Century City opened in June 2005 and has significantly less square footage. The larger store will provide the space needed to accommodate more products, increased customer traffic, and Today at Apple sessions.

Apple's current store at Westfield Century City​

The new store will also be based on Apple's latest retail design, including large glass doors, sequoia wood tables and shelves, a large video screen for Today at Apple sessions, and light boxes spanning the length of the ceiling.

All new Apple retail stores opened since September 2015 have been based on the updated design, including Apple's flagship Union Square location in San Francisco. Apple has also renovated over 40 existing stores with the newer look.

Westfield Century City's makeover also includes the West Coast's first Eataly, new public areas and landscaped open-air plazas, double its parking capacity, a new 156,000 square foot Macy's, and dozens of other new shops and restaurants.

(Thanks, Peter Nichols!)

Article Link: Apple to Open Spacious New Store at Century City in Los Angeles as Part of Mall's $1 Billion Modernization

 

[robbysibrahim]

Never cared about store (town hall) news but this is where I'm picking up my iPhone 8 (to hold me over for the X) and Watch w/GPS and Cellular on Friday!

 

[Avieshek]

Wow, $1 Billion. Co-sponsored by iPhone X

 

[kukhuvud]

This is actually the first time in a few years that I'm not picking up my new phone at Century City! Which is a shame, too, since that's a pretty nice mall. I do find it amusing that the current Apple store there is on the same 'block' as the Microsoft shop.

 

[macduke]

Where I'm from, malls don't get renovated. They are built and run down over the course of a decade or two as the surrounding neighborhood eventually goes to crap. People stop going to the malls as news stories about rapes and muggings around the mall goes up, and eventually the mall turns into a ghost town sprinkled with cell phone case kiosks, pop-up Halloween costume stores, and Army recruitment offices. Sometimes they even implode them with explosives. So it's really weird for me to hear about an old mall being renovated, lol. I think the problem is we have too much land.

 

[jjjlevin]

This is my local apple store. I was wondering why apple wouldn't want to open a new store during this huge remodel at century city. Im glad Apple decided to upgrade the tiny store they currently have in the mall.

 

[benz240]

Don't you mean TOWN SQUARE

/triggered

 

[Cloudkicker]

So an Apple Store near a Rolex store. Very convenient for smash-&-grab. Sweet.

Apple is installing *a* store. They aren't infusing anywhere near $1b in a mall... even if it is an LA mall.

 

[MrXiro]

Wow, $1 Billion. Co-sponsored by iPhone X

it has nothing to do with the iPhone X. They've been remodeling this mall for nearly 2 years.
[doublepost=1505763872][/doublepost]

This is actually the first time in a few years that I'm not picking up my new phone at Century City! Which is a shame, too, since that's a pretty nice mall. I do find it amusing that the current Apple store there is on the same 'block' as the Microsoft shop.

Well they moved Microsoft from around the corner to where the old Sony Store used to be... and then they tore down the rest of the mall that the didn't remodel 12 years ago. What's funny is walking past both MS and Apple you can see a packed Apple Store and tumbleweeds rolling around inside the MS store with the employees looking longingly at you in hopes you'd come in to provide them with some human contact.

 

[Cloudkicker]

it has nothing to do with the iPhone X. They've been remodeling this mall for nearly 2 years.
[doublepost=1505763872][/doublepost]
What's funny is walking past both MS and Apple you can see a packed Apple Store and tumbleweeds rolling around inside the MS store with the employees looking longingly at you in hopes you'd come in to provide them with some human contact.

Maybe that's where Apple keeps all the TouchBar MacBook Pros then; the Microsoft store.

 

[MrXiro]

Maybe that's where Apple keeps all the TouchBar MacBook Pros then; the Microsoft store.

You lost me on the joke... cause the touch bar sucks they store them at MS? Or are the always sold out? I don't really follow current MBP so I don't know what you're talking about.

 

[Sarlacc]

Where I'm from, malls don't get renovated. They are built and run down over the course of a decade or two as the surrounding neighborhood eventually goes to crap. People stop going to the malls as news stories about rapes and muggings around the mall goes up, and eventually the mall turns into a ghost town sprinkled with cell phone case kiosks, pop-up Halloween costume stores, and Army recruitment offices. Sometimes they even implode them with explosives. So it's really weird for me to hear about an old mall being renovated, lol. I think the problem is we have too much land.

Funny thing that will tweak your brain even more...This isn't that "old" of a mall. It underwent massive and expensive renovations about 10 years ago, maybe less. This is all part of their plan to make what was already a high end mall, even higher end...and what used to be a very open and outdoor mall, much more enclosed in areas. I go to the movies their a lot and its been interesting to watch the construction.

And its not the only mall in LA to announce or begin massive renovations. They are all trying to compete with online retail.

 

[MrXiro]

Funny thing that will tweak your brain even more...This isn't that "old" of a mall. It underwent massive and expensive renovations about 10 years ago, maybe less. This is all part of their plan to make what was already a high end mall, even higher end...and what used to be a very open and outdoor mall, much more enclosed in areas. I go to the movies their a lot and its been interesting to watch the construction.

And its not the only mall in LA to announce or begin massive renovations. They are all trying to compete with online retail.

It was pretty crummy in the early 2000s. I mean it wasn't "BAD" but it was kind of a lame mall before the remodel. The old AMC that was there sucked too. But this new remodel makes it a LOT more prestigious. I wish they didn't charge so much for parking though. Or at least let us validate for getting food there.

 

[macduke]

Funny thing that will tweak your brain even more...This isn't that "old" of a mall. It underwent massive and expensive renovations about 10 years ago, maybe less. This is all part of their plan to make what was already a high end mall, even higher end...and what used to be a very open and outdoor mall, much more enclosed in areas. I go to the movies their a lot and its been interesting to watch the construction.

And its not the only mall in LA to announce or begin massive renovations. They are all trying to compete with online retail.

Well, at least they're maintaining it instead of letting it waste away and destroy property values in surrounding areas. I remember when they imploded this one mall my friends at work had injured and dead rats all over their yard that ran out when it came down, creating a disease problem for a while. I think they replaced it with a Walmart and Bass Pro. *facepalm*

 

[djnigelchung]

You lost me on the joke... cause the touch bar sucks they store them at MS? Or are the always sold out? I don't really follow current MBP so I don't know what you're talking about.

Lost me too, no idea where he was going with this

 

[thisisnotmyname]

It was pretty crummy in the early 2000s. I mean it wasn't "BAD" but it was kind of a lame mall before the remodel. The old AMC that was there sucked too. But this new remodel makes it a LOT more prestigious. I wish they didn't charge so much for parking though. Or at least let us validate for getting food there.

Isn't the self park free? I thought only the valet was paid parking?
[doublepost=1505797960][/doublepost]

Where I'm from, malls don't get renovated. They are built and run down over the course of a decade or two as the surrounding neighborhood eventually goes to crap. People stop going to the malls as news stories about rapes and muggings around the mall goes up, and eventually the mall turns into a ghost town sprinkled with cell phone case kiosks, pop-up Halloween costume stores, and Army recruitment offices. Sometimes they even implode them with explosives. So it's really weird for me to hear about an old mall being renovated, lol. I think the problem is we have too much land.

For context, Beverly Hills is a mile down the road from this mall. It's also not a mall in the sense of midwestern malls, it's a largely outdoor collection of higher end chain stores (not many true boutiques but quite a few higher end or luxury brands).

 

[gijoeinla]

This is not your average mall from Kansas

The new store is located in the center directly behind a staging center area. Rolex will open directly across from Apple at a southwest corner. Amazon Books is opening a brand new store not far from the new Apple Store. The Apple Store may, may be two stories. It's heavily covered. Here's a rendering of what that area looks like. Apple will b near the AMC 16, Bloomingdales, brand new Nordstrom, an upgraded food court with a new Shack Shack, Chick-fil-A, LA's first Crack Shack, they added a new Equinox..LA's famous Randy's Donuts is now there. Compartes just opened, a Wexlers Deli.. a Javier's restaurant and the massive Eataly...

Westfield Century City Mall is set to launch a centralized studio services suite to cater to L.A.'s music, film and television industries.

The dedicated space will be a home base for stylists and costume designers, with its own VIP green room for fittings, and a hotline to a coordinator who can help corral resources from various stores at the shopping center, including Nordstrom, Aritzia, J. Crew and many more. And online orders from Costume designers can be bought and paid for and ready for pick up curb side. All via electronic sourcing and ordering.

It also includes the first-ever Uber Lounge. The lounge will feature "ultra-modern design, sleek seating, and unexpected customer amenities" as customers wait for their Uber ride.

Your license plates are scanned as you enter and parking tickets are now not always needed to exit https://www.westfield.com/centurycity/parking/how-it-works

Also brand new -- Westfield Century City’s features a Reserved Parking system that offers the ability for a customer to pre-purchase a premium parking space in a dedicated and nested area using cashless payment method like Apple Pay or Westfield Wallet in the Westfield App.

The new Apple Store is near a tunnel from major office buildings, a mall entrance that flows from a new hotel and 50 story twin towers under construction and not far from a future L.A. Metro Subway station. Apparently the mall is 100% rented. Westfield spared no expense on this mother. And yea all this money in the midst of a descent in retail shopping. It's a huge gamble no matter how you cut it. The place is 1.3 million sq feet big.

 

[macduke]

For context, Beverly Hills is a mile down the road from this mall. It's also not a mall in the sense of midwestern malls, it's a largely outdoor collection of higher end chain stores (not many true boutiques but quite a few higher end or luxury brands).

We've got a few of those in the midwest, but the weather doesn't really cooperate, so I feel like that holds them back a little. But it's great when the weather is nice to just stroll around outside. They also get super crowded since they're rare, and even more so when the weather is nice. I have noticed that the outdoor ones tend to hold up better over the years vs. the indoor ones that just get gross over time. It's probably easier to slowly update the appearance of individual stores vs. an entire structure.