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Apple's Only Store in Northern Ireland Relocating Later This Month

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Apple's only retail store in Northern Ireland is moving, but rest assured that the new location will be in close proximity to the current one.

Apple-Logo-16x9.jpg

Apple has announced that its store at the Victoria Square shopping center in Belfast will be permanently closed starting Tuesday, October 15. The company is opening a new store in the nearby Corn Market area on Friday, October 18.

MacRumors reader Chris Ball shared a photo of Apple's new store in Belfast earlier this week, but the company's logo remained covered at the time. Ball said the store is located on High Street in the city's central shopping district.

New-Apple-Store-Belfast.jpg

Apple's website indicates that the new store will have an Apple Pickup station for in-store pickup of online orders, and a Genius Bar for technical support and repairs. The store will also host free Today at Apple creative sessions.

Article Link: Apple's Only Store in Northern Ireland Relocating Later This Month
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2024/10/04/apple-store-in-northern-ireland-relocating/
I hope to get to visit this Store soon. I was at the opening of the current Apple Store in Victoria Square. Quite an experience.
 
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This is great news.

Happy to see that Apple are remaining committed to a Belfast store.

Hopefully the new store will have more space available. But will there be a covered area for queuing outside on rainy launch days?
 
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johnalan said:
Yep absolutely ****ing ridiculous.

The “premium resellers” here are garbage. And any repair is a garbage UX
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Yup but if they opened a store the re-sellers would go out of business, and it wouldn't do great business wise as Irish people tend to buy things online more compared to other countries, leaving a small population for in person sales.

Phone carriers would also hate this, although the idea of less repair stores on every corner does sound appealing.
 
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I strongly suspect the deal here with Apple is the same as with many other American corporates (Amazon, for example) who 'base' in the ROI for tax purposes - the actual execs are in a swanky London office, and regard the ROI as a weird rural UK backwater of their actual operations and don't bother with it.
 
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Maoltuile said:
I strongly suspect the deal here with Apple is the same as with many other American corporates (Amazon, for example) who 'base' in the ROI for tax purposes - the actual execs are based in a swanky London office, and regard the ROI as a weird rural UK backwater of their actual operations and don't bother with it.
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The EU execs are based in ROI.

The Cork HQ was the first Apple development outside the US, the entire sales and distribution business outside the US is still based here.

We have a LOT of IT grads here, the tax thing is obviously a bonus but we're also the only English speaking EU country and one of the highest developed/educated countries.
 
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Interesting location and Victoria Square will definitely feel the hit. Hopefully they continue to polish up that area of corn market a bit. As it had become a bit scuzzy. Why no Apple Store in ROI? — Tax structures and domiciles baby (allegedly) 🤫
 
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Victoria Square is pretty groddy and going out of style these days, no surprise there. Belfast is a much better place for a premium brand like apple.
 
AF_APPLETALK said:
Victoria Square is pretty groddy and going out of style these days, no surprise there. Belfast is a much better place for a premium brand like apple.
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Agreed re Apple but VS is a better location (IMHO) and covered. Shame they didn’t take the massive Top Shop premium unit in VS. Probably not available at that time. That area of corn market has been downtrodden for many years. Interesting regen.
 
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Hot Take: Can Apple stop relocating stores and open up brand new Apple Stores?
(Unless its Apple Flatirons Crossing because that one is tiny and there are usually a lot of people there)
 
SidricTheViking said:
Apple started operating in Cork (Ireland) in 1980 and has been growing steadily. It currently employs over 6,000 here but still has no Apple Store in the country. Sigh.
😎🇮🇪☘️
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I'm really surprised by this! Compared to Dublin, there are many smaller and less wealthy cities in the UK and EU which have Apple stores.

There must be some obscure tax rule or loophole that Apple would be unable to exploit if they had a physical retail presence in the ROI?
 
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Enjoyed the opening of Apple’s first store in Belfast way back. Staff were lovely too. The current store in Victoria Sq I was at a couple of years back and it had some of the worst staff I’ve seen. Extremely snooty with a manager with head up rear end. He actually tutted at a lady for touching a laptop as he walked past, then irritatingly ‘fixed’ the alignment of it slightly as she had moved it a little.Total cliche. Other customers looked ill at ease waiting for them.

Hope that lot are gone now. Usually like the staff at most Apple stores, not sure how they managed to create such a toxic micro culture at that one.
 
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I’m just wondering if the T-shirt I got from the Victoria Square Apple Store opening day will be worth anything someday :)
 
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Good to know. Looking forward to seeing more photos from the new location.
 
Great news and hopefully the new store will have a larger capacity for the genius bar and retail areas. Only downsides are that the location is further away and anyone queuing in future will be doing so outside and given it rains most of the time - everyone will be soaked!
 
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Maoltuile said:
I strongly suspect the deal here with Apple is the same as with many other American corporates (Amazon, for example) who 'base' in the ROI for tax purposes - the actual execs are in a swanky London office, and regard the ROI as a weird rural UK backwater of their actual operations and don't bother with it.
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You strongly suspect entirely wrong. The Irish operation controls all of EMEA. It is very real and very large. Most of the execs are Irish (Cathy Kearney, for example). Rural offices in UK, France, Germany, etc. fall under the Irish umbrella.
 
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TJ82 said:
Enjoyed the opening of Apple’s first store in Belfast way back. Staff were lovely too. The current store in Victoria Sq I was at a couple of years back and it had some of the worst staff I’ve seen. Extremely snooty with a manager with head up rear end. He actually tutted at a lady for touching a laptop as he walked past, then irritatingly ‘fixed’ the alignment of it slightly as she had moved it a little.Total cliche. Other customers looked ill at ease waiting for them.

Hope that lot are gone now. Usually like the staff at most Apple stores, not sure how they managed to create such a toxic micro culture at that one.
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Nail. Hit. On. Head. A travesty of a store that used to be so good. I remember the opening of the Belfast store and subsequent launches of iPhones,iPads and the like and it was a great atmosphere, wonderful experience and the staff had a genuine connection with you. Decent staff. Well trained and knowledgable.

The store today? A nightmare. Many of the staff have a clear attitude problem and the management make the decision to go and actually purchase something as horrid an experience as possible. Pre pay and arrive on time? treated like a nuisance. Go in and want to purchase on the spot? Looked at like some sort of leper if you have not got an "appointment". As miserable a place you can possibly experience. Many staff extremely uncomfortable when standing around aimless whilst the idiot in front of you explains they are so busy that you will have to come back tomorrow.

Hopefully with the new premises they might get a new attitude along with some new paintwork. Why do I go there? No choice. If I want to get the latest iPhone that is where I need to be on launch day (prepaid!) (with an appointment!) to be able to pick up the product. But not before jumping through hoops outside and being "allowed in" when it suits them. A shambles of a place.

Did I mention I'm not too keen?!!
 
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