Apple's Tiny WestQuay Store Getting Much-Needed Expansion This Weekend

[trollied]

The Meadowhall store is currently being upgraded too.

They temporarily moved it downstairs in January & now the original upstairs unit & the empty one next to it, have had their frontage covered up with a large black barrier, as Apple usually does. It will more than double the size of the store. I imagine its opening is imminent, given it's been under construction for 7 months.

 

[Fradley]

I agree the store in Highcross, Leicester should be bigger as should the stores in Sheffield's Meadowhall and Birmingham's Bull Ring.

Birmingham's store moved out of the Bullring nearly a year ago, it's now in the old Waterstone's/Midland Bank building on New Street - big improvement!

 

[Purple Pear]

The Southampton store is my "local" Apple Store even though it's a near 50 mile round trip for me. I've owned Apple gear for well over a decade and have only been to the store once in all that time. It was so small I didn't see the need to rush back....

If the new version is much larger (which seems likely) ithen I'll certainly check it out. However, I'd be far happier if they opened a store in Bournemouth. ;-)

Yep, 54 mile round trip for me, at least 40 mins each way when there is no traffic but there is always traffic / traffic holdups in at least one direction on the journey.

If I still lived in the centre of Bournemouth then I'd have to add another 20 mins to the journey time each way just to get out of and back into Bournemouth from/to the main route (A31).

Please, please, please, Apple consider opening a store in Bournemouth or elsewhere in South or East Dorset! Is a heavily populated area that needs it's own store!

Good! Been to that store a few times and it's horribly cramped, especially when all the kids are in it playing around! Best store I find is in Bath, much bigger and more spread out, better experience.
[doublepost=1502234713][/doublepost]

Is Bath not closer to you? They have a lovely big store there, about two and a half to three times the size of the one in Southampton.

If I have the time to make a day of it I do prefer the Bath store to the outgoing Southampton store (and the city itself to be fair) however that is a 110 mile round trip or at least 1 hour 40 mins each way.

Solutions Inc was never a good replacement for the store.

Was not aware they were even still there, tried them once to check out something (probably either iPhone or iPad when they were newish) but they didn't have whatever it was I was there to see.

IIRC - rumours from many years ago - Apple left Bournemouth (or never opened there) due to the ridiculous business rates the local council wanted. They could afford it now of course or maybe even convince the council to give them a special rate (<-- too soon? ;-) ).

--------

I am so glad the WestQuay store is getting upgraded, I did pop up there to check out the look of the new iPad Pros in person and the staff member I spoke too mentioned the 'Today at Apple..' sessions, which I would love to check out and have wanted to do so even before the recent re-brand and promotion of same, however distance (with traffic considerations), being a parent of a 5 year old (lack of time), and concerns regarding the comfort of trying to learn new things in a tiny, crowded store have prevented me so far. However with the latter concern eliminated I will try harder

Still would very much like an Apple store in or a lot nearer to Bournemouth though please Apple. Actually the member of staff I mentioned above did say he lived in Bournemouth - I hope he gets the train to work, that drive everyday would not be pleasant.

 

[mattmartincouk]

Similar to what they're doing in Sheffield Meadowhall.

Apple Store moved downstairs to a temporary store whilst their original one is knocked into next door, the hallway to the left of the store moved to the right and the new build out being fitted.

Open in the next few months.

 

[Littleman]

My local store. That’s excellent news, it was always a terribly busy experience.
[doublepost=1502291452][/doublepost]

Yep, 54 mile round trip for me, at least 40 mins each way when there is no traffic but there is always traffic / traffic holdups in at least one direction on the journey.

If I still lived in the centre of Bournemouth then I'd have to add another 20 mins to the journey time each way just to get out of and back into Bournemouth from/to the main route (A31).

Please, please, please, Apple consider opening a store in Bournemouth or elsewhere in South or East Dorset! Is a heavily populated area that needs it's own store!



If I have the time to make a day of it I do prefer the Bath store to the outgoing Southampton store (and the city itself to be fair) however that is a 110 mile round trip or at least 1 hour 40 mins each way.



Was not aware they were even still there, tried them once to check out something (probably either iPhone or iPad when they were newish) but they didn't have whatever it was I was there to see.

IIRC - rumours from many years ago - Apple left Bournemouth (or never opened there) due to the ridiculous business rates the local council wanted. They could afford it now of course or maybe even convince the council to give them a special rate (<-- too soon? ;-) ).

--------

I am so glad the WestQuay store is getting upgraded, I did pop up there to check out the look of the new iPad Pros in person and the staff member I spoke too mentioned the 'Today at Apple..' sessions, which I would love to check out and have wanted to do so even before the recent re-brand and promotion of same, however distance (with traffic considerations), being a parent of a 5 year old (lack of time), and concerns regarding the comfort of trying to learn new things in a tiny, crowded store have prevented me so far. However with the latter concern eliminated I will try harder

Still would very much like an Apple store in or a lot nearer to Bournemouth though please Apple. Actually the member of staff I mentioned above did say he lived in Bournemouth - I hope he gets the train to work, that drive everyday would not be pleasant.

The A31 would be horrendous on the way home .
Thumbs up to a Bournemouth store also.

 

[evamoree]

I can confirm this is true and I have had staff confirmation. The move was most definitely needed as anyone who has been to the store knows that there is no room- especially when they have those kid workshops.

They have too many staff for the tiny store too, but I am assuming this was a more recent decision as I have not previously noticed this and they would have had been planning the move for months, if not a year.
[doublepost=1502479399][/doublepost]

That’s the cutest little baby store I ever did see!

Is that a four stool Genius Bar?

This must be the smallest ever!

Yup. I live local and when I visit the Apple Store the Genius Bar is always packed (not too dissimilar from the rest of the store though).
[doublepost=1502479475][/doublepost]

Might not be an entirely good thing, their store arranging has gone downhill.

Believe me, anything is better than the tiny store they have there at the moment.

 

[Joe Rossignol]

Looks like they've renamed the store. The listing says Apple Southampton now instead of Apple WestQuay.

https://www.apple.com/uk/retail/southampton/

 

[aarondgibson]

Considering this was one of the first UK Apple Stores it was high time this got upgraded, particularly in light of the fact that there are no Apple Stores in Poole, Bournemouth or Portsmouth, this Apple store serves quite a lot of customers.

They really do need to bring a store to the Bournemouth area, whether that's Poole, Bournemouth centre or Castlepoint - I don't really care. I would even go as far as to say that if it wasn't for the fact that the Southampton store serves so many customers due to a lack of other local stores, that Bournemouth probably has a larger natural market for Mac users due to the two creative universities, growing film industry and rampant spread of digital and creative agencies.

The sad truth for places like Bournemouth, Poole and Portsmouth is they're unlikely to happen anytime soon because Apple seems to be done with the idea of any more UK stores in favour of international growth, and the money is in iPhone sales so even Bournemouth's creative Mac leaning demographic doesn't really edge it.

A Dorset resident would never drive to Brighton (100 miles) to go the Apple Store, you'd more likely head to Bath or Exeter instead, and depending on where you live in the county could result in a 3 hour round trip.

A bit of a sore point really considering there are 3 stores in the Bristol/Bath area...
[doublepost=1502620097][/doublepost]

Bournemouth -> Brighton? ...just a thought – yes I know the bloody awful traffic makes the journey take an age! ;-/

Wouldn't really happen I'm afraid - it's double the distance than it would be to go Bath, plus as a Bournemouth resident, it would "stick in your craw" to drive to a comparably sized place like Brighton when Apple could just have easily opened a store in Bournemouth.

 

[Falhófnir]

Oh I didn't even realise and this is my closest store! Look forward to seeing the new bigger one when upgrading iPhones in a month or two not surprised they felt the need to expand, considering how rammed it's always been on my visits. Lymington high street always has room for more distinguished establishments too, y'know Apple :3 (you might have to change the flashy aluminium/white logo though, can't have the place looking too avant-garde!)