I don't know where you are, but as I said in my previous post, they're opening one in Jacksonville in the next few months. If you're in GA it wouldn't be worth the drive just to look, but maybe to purchasesockeatingdryer said:
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
New Apple Stores and Closings
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Waiting on Providence, RI Store...
Granted I don't mind going to the NH Apple Store (no sales tax, woot!), but Providence, RI is in serious need of an Apple Store...
Granted I don't mind going to the NH Apple Store (no sales tax, woot!), but Providence, RI is in serious need of an Apple Store...
robbents99 said:
We really could use one up here in Maple Grove, MN (nw minneapolis metro). Its the type of location that you'd expect an Apple store, its very similar in growth & wealth to the bloomington area in the sothern half of the metro where Apple has two stores (one in Mall of America, and one in the neighboring city). 2 years ago a contact at our newest shopping center said they were in discussions with Apple, but they've never come in.
I'm still waiting. I don't get why they put one within a 3 minute drive from their mall of america store. I guess I would never buy a computer in Mall of America, maybe thats why they put one near by. But I still think they should focus on filling the gaps in their coverage before doubling or trippling up.
jeffgarden said:
The old 80/20 rule. I head up sales for a national company and 80% of our business come from 20% of the states. NY, FL, CA, TX and IL are where most of the money is. Sorry if people don't want to hear that but that's where a national seller is going to focus.
Another cheer for TekServe. Great service, great people, 10 cent Cokes . The funny thing is, I've often heard Apple Store employees refer customers to TekServe for accessories and for certain repair jobs. TekServe thrives by doing some things better than the Apple Store. Its easier to speak to a tech and they have many, many more accessories (a dozen or so keyboards for example, whereas the Apple Store only sells Apple's).
. The funny thing is, I've often heard Apple Store employees refer customers to TekServe for accessories and for certain repair jobs. TekServe thrives by doing some things better than the Apple Store. Its easier to speak to a tech and they have many, many more accessories (a dozen or so keyboards for example, whereas the Apple Store only sells Apple's).Stephen Hinton said:
Still too Far to Drive...
I know I'm lazy, but couldn't they have put the new Orlando store about 15 miles further east...
Those two locations, the Florida Mall and the Millenia Mall, are fine for tourists, but they are near each other. I guess it's for product placement. Maybe they're looking to attract the attention of rich stock investors on vacation at WDW Resorts. I know that there are stores in the Millenia Mall that are basically showcases for expensive brands, like Tiffany & Co.
The shopping area that attracts the majority of tourists, especially ones who own euros (poor $), is the Belz Factory Outlet Mall. I recommend going if you visit here. Lots of good deals on clothing.
For now, the Computer Store at the University of Central Florida will serve my needs.
I know I'm lazy, but couldn't they have put the new Orlando store about 15 miles further east...
Those two locations, the Florida Mall and the Millenia Mall, are fine for tourists, but they are near each other. I guess it's for product placement. Maybe they're looking to attract the attention of rich stock investors on vacation at WDW Resorts. I know that there are stores in the Millenia Mall that are basically showcases for expensive brands, like Tiffany & Co.
The shopping area that attracts the majority of tourists, especially ones who own euros
(poor $), is the Belz Factory Outlet Mall. I recommend going if you visit here. Lots of good deals on clothing.For now, the Computer Store at the University of Central Florida will serve my needs.
Mr_Ed said:I hope the new store in Orlando is not a "mini" store though if it's in a mall, it probably will be
I'm kind of curious about what you expected.
As far as I can tell the Millenia store carries everything and the staff seems friendly and knowledgeable. I'm be totally happy to have even a mini store over here in Oviedo. Not complaining, though; still only about 30-45 min. drive to all that Apple goodness. For those who care, this will mean that the only two Apple stores in all of Orlando are approx. 10 minutes apart. On the plus side, maybe this will mean the store isn't always packed. man2525 said:
Can anyone use the UCF store or do you have to be a student. I work just across the road from UCF, but didn't know they sold Apple stuff. Do they have a good selection? I have seen quite a few students with iBooks in Starbucks, but figured they bought them at Millenia or online.
duffman9000 said:
A single option without others is, by definition, not an option.
As for Apple stores having the items whereas independents do not, that's exactly the point. It doesn't happen because the resellers are incompetent; it happens because Apple withholds supply.
I never went to either of these particular stores, so I can't speak to them. But the store near my college that closed had current inventory, nice displays, and helpful salespeople. I'm not saying it was necessarily better than an apple store, but it was just as good.
Lets apply some common sense here. Does it make sense that every little retailer is as poorly managed as some have suggested that these stores were? Or does it make more sense that in the face of a wave of closings, there may be a more a systemic cause?
A Successful Business is About Delivering on the Promise
Ths is not about product, it's about delivering on the promise.
What is the proimise the retailers make? It's about the experience - not the commodity. If it was just commodity, it would always be based on price - but the majority of these posts seem to indicate the experience of the indies was poor - they were not delivering on the promise. I have been in MacAdam and was not pleased. I have been in CompuWare and was please d- even paid more for my machine because of the experience.
I have worked in computer store as a salesperson - hardware margins are so small we had to excel on knowledge and service.
And please, it's not like the stores didn't see the writing on the wall - They have to ask themselves why are they in business - what is their promise to their customers.
Perhaps they were getting lazy and complacent and customers started to pick up on this...
Ths is not about product, it's about delivering on the promise.
What is the proimise the retailers make? It's about the experience - not the commodity. If it was just commodity, it would always be based on price - but the majority of these posts seem to indicate the experience of the indies was poor - they were not delivering on the promise. I have been in MacAdam and was not pleased. I have been in CompuWare and was please d- even paid more for my machine because of the experience.
I have worked in computer store as a salesperson - hardware margins are so small we had to excel on knowledge and service.
And please, it's not like the stores didn't see the writing on the wall - They have to ask themselves why are they in business - what is their promise to their customers.
Perhaps they were getting lazy and complacent and customers started to pick up on this...
Boo freakin hoo. I'm sorry, but I don't feel bad that Apple has decided to further their buisness by playing the resellers sandbox. I say, bravo!!! I only wish I didn't have to drive 2 hours to get to the Apple store in Des Moines.
I don't know of any stores that sell Macs in my neck of the woods. So... I say, where's my store?
I don't know of any stores that sell Macs in my neck of the woods. So... I say, where's my store?
nydoofus said:Another cheer for TekServe. Great service, great people, 10 cent Cokes
I'm not a member of the TekServe fanclub. To me, TekServe is just like the other bad apple resellers that the Apple Stores were designed to eliminate.
Apple SoHo is a terrible place by my standards - inadequate staffing for the business they do and lines out the wazoo as a result - but at least the answers they give to straightforward inquiries are honest. I can't count the number of times I've called TekServe in advance asking about availability of specific items, being told "yeah, we've got it, come on down," wasting half an hour getting there and another hour standing in line only to be told that said item was out of stock or what have you, then wasting another half hour getting back to work, or home, etc.
When I call the Apple store asking about a specific item, I get a straightforward yes or no about availability, and when I get a yes, I go to the store an get the item (Mac, accessory, whatever) without any problems, and certainly without waiting in line for an hour to be told it's out of stock (or was never in stock because they didn't sell it in the first place).
Same deal with support. The Genius Bar in SoHo certainly sucks - if I need support, I log onto http://www.apple.com/retail/soho at exactly 10:01 am to schedule an appointment and usually end up with one in the afternoon - but it beats waiting in line for hours at TekServe only to be treated with rudeness bordering on contempt. It may take a long time to be seen by a "genius" but at least they're unfailingly helpful and polite. They certainly don't look for technicalities to avoid providing warranty service like the TekServe staff I've had the misfortune of encountering.
If I was still using my SE/30, yeah, I'd go to TekServe for any repair I couldn't do myself, but those days are long, long gone.
-vga4life
Do Apple stores offer better prices, quicker supply of new products, and the like or do they just offer a nicer interface with more and more helpful employees and stock on hand, etc? If it is the latter set they are a better store if it is the first than it is unfair business. I'd like an Apple store in my area.
WHAT ABOUT DAYTON
I WISH APPLE WOULD QUIT TAKING THEIR TIME ON A DAYTON AREA STORE. There are two possibilities, Dayton Mall and FairField Commons. Dayton Mall should not be called that since it is out of the way for most people in the Dayton area. I think FairField Commons would be a better location, it's right across from Wright State Univ., which has a significantly good number of Mac people. Plus, I need a job, a good job. I can't stand working for Wally World anymore.
Does anybody have any good advice for how I can make the transformation from that damn blue vest to the wonderful white apple?
I WISH APPLE WOULD QUIT TAKING THEIR TIME ON A DAYTON AREA STORE. There are two possibilities, Dayton Mall and FairField Commons. Dayton Mall should not be called that since it is out of the way for most people in the Dayton area. I think FairField Commons would be a better location, it's right across from Wright State Univ., which has a significantly good number of Mac people. Plus, I need a job, a good job. I can't stand working for Wally World anymore.
Does anybody have any good advice for how I can make the transformation from that damn blue vest to the wonderful white apple?
I've got 5 Apple stores in a 60 mile radius, with the closest being about 5 mins from me which is great! Why is it that most every Apple store in a two story mall is on the second floor? I thought I was going to die lugging my G5 to the Genius Bar the other day.
In terms of the independents...its a definate...Waaahh!! I do feel for those entreprenuers that are going down, but at the same time, it is what you make of it. I'd be surprised if most of those failed independents admitted that they didn't do "everything" they possibly could do to drive their business.
Maybe living off the rep of the Apple logo too long have we??? Instead of building rapport with the community, holding training workshops, creating incentive programs, sales calls, and/or duplicating the tidy white environment for uniformity...blah blah blah. Probably not...so down in the pit you go!
In terms of the independents...its a definate...Waaahh!! I do feel for those entreprenuers that are going down, but at the same time, it is what you make of it. I'd be surprised if most of those failed independents admitted that they didn't do "everything" they possibly could do to drive their business.
Maybe living off the rep of the Apple logo too long have we??? Instead of building rapport with the community, holding training workshops, creating incentive programs, sales calls, and/or duplicating the tidy white environment for uniformity...blah blah blah. Probably not...so down in the pit you go!
njmac said:
Pete Trauber? That guy is great! I worked with him in Pittsburgh... really, really good guy!
Dan
You know, I reflexively felt bad about macadam's closure, but then I remembered the few times I'd been there. It was a "for-geeks, by-geeks" establishment, with all the good and bad that came with that.
In the "good" column, macadam was the only place in town that sold niche items like after-market carrying handles for TiBooks. In fact, that's the only thing I can actually remember buying there. Of course the advent of online shopping has softened the blow of not having a store for things like that.
In the "bad" column are a few problems:
1. Location: theirs was terrible. It was in a mildly sketchy part of SOMA. I can't think of any other shopping in that general area unless you're looking to buy some leather undies. The store was inconvenient to get to either with or without a car.
2. Geek elitism: you can't afford it if you're trying to run a business. Their regular customers were their friends, but anyone else should be able to walk into the store and receive courteous, professional attention without knowing the secret handshake, and sadly that wasn't the case.
3. Inventory management: give it a try sometime. Walking into the store was a little like walking into somebody's garage. It was dark, disorganized, and stuffed to the gills with ancient gear still being sold at the original MSRP. The store couldn't comfortably accomodate more than a handful of shoppers at a time, and while there was some useful stuff there, you had to wade through a lot of junk to find it.
Ultimately Macadam wasn't really doing the Apple community any favors. Bottom line, if all I had to choose from was "Mom & Pop" shops and I had to choose being a Mac user and shopping at Macadam versus being a PC user and shopping at Central Computer, I'd be a PC user all the way.
It's a shame they couldn't make it work, and even with the store's shortcomings I'd be angry to learn if Apple was abusing their position as manufacturer to drive competing retailers out of business (which is illegal), but I'd also be surprised. If the store was moving enough merchandise to make it worth the effort, Apple would have made them a priority. This is true even within a chain. I've occasionally heard an Apple rep at one CompUSA talking about how another CompUSA gets supplied better.
For that matter, if Apple was specifically looking to drive competing retailers out of business, at least in SF they'd do a lot better to start with the CompUSA a block away from the Apple Store, but they still seem pretty well stocked.
In the "good" column, macadam was the only place in town that sold niche items like after-market carrying handles for TiBooks. In fact, that's the only thing I can actually remember buying there. Of course the advent of online shopping has softened the blow of not having a store for things like that.
In the "bad" column are a few problems:
1. Location: theirs was terrible. It was in a mildly sketchy part of SOMA. I can't think of any other shopping in that general area unless you're looking to buy some leather undies. The store was inconvenient to get to either with or without a car.
2. Geek elitism: you can't afford it if you're trying to run a business. Their regular customers were their friends, but anyone else should be able to walk into the store and receive courteous, professional attention without knowing the secret handshake, and sadly that wasn't the case.
3. Inventory management: give it a try sometime. Walking into the store was a little like walking into somebody's garage. It was dark, disorganized, and stuffed to the gills with ancient gear still being sold at the original MSRP. The store couldn't comfortably accomodate more than a handful of shoppers at a time, and while there was some useful stuff there, you had to wade through a lot of junk to find it.
Ultimately Macadam wasn't really doing the Apple community any favors. Bottom line, if all I had to choose from was "Mom & Pop" shops and I had to choose being a Mac user and shopping at Macadam versus being a PC user and shopping at Central Computer, I'd be a PC user all the way.
It's a shame they couldn't make it work, and even with the store's shortcomings I'd be angry to learn if Apple was abusing their position as manufacturer to drive competing retailers out of business (which is illegal), but I'd also be surprised. If the store was moving enough merchandise to make it worth the effort, Apple would have made them a priority. This is true even within a chain. I've occasionally heard an Apple rep at one CompUSA talking about how another CompUSA gets supplied better.
For that matter, if Apple was specifically looking to drive competing retailers out of business, at least in SF they'd do a lot better to start with the CompUSA a block away from the Apple Store, but they still seem pretty well stocked.
Usually businesses fail because of poor business practices. I'd bet that the better stores that are quality like the Apple Store are still open. I have yet to hear of a quality store that only does Apple shutting down. I've just heard of stores shutting down that have poor employees and unreasonably high prices shutting down.
If you stand back and look you should be happy those kinds of stores are gone because that means there is finally room for better stores in the communities that have shutdown stores in them.
If the Apple Stores shutdown high quality stores that only do Apple, not only would I be surprised that such a thing would happen, I would be ready for a monopoly type lawsuit.
I'd bet that the Apple stores have made more mac users which means that stores that do Apple repairs and sell only Apple things would be more busy than ever. These stores would pretty much provide people with an alternative to the Apple store.
If you stand back and look you should be happy those kinds of stores are gone because that means there is finally room for better stores in the communities that have shutdown stores in them.
If the Apple Stores shutdown high quality stores that only do Apple, not only would I be surprised that such a thing would happen, I would be ready for a monopoly type lawsuit.
I'd bet that the Apple stores have made more mac users which means that stores that do Apple repairs and sell only Apple things would be more busy than ever. These stores would pretty much provide people with an alternative to the Apple store.
I Think They Do Outside Business
The selection is good, but...
Elgibility to Purchase
The UCF Computer Store caters specifically to current students, staff and faculty of UCF and surrounding Community Colleges.
Sorry. It helps when you work there, I guess.
crazedbytheheat said:
The selection is good, but...
Elgibility to Purchase
The UCF Computer Store caters specifically to current students, staff and faculty of UCF and surrounding Community Colleges.
Sorry. It helps when you work there, I guess.
MacAdam - Good Riddance!!!!!
Piece of crap store. I love how this guy has been poo pooing apple for supply chain issues etc. I guarantee that he was like 90 days out on his AP with Apple all the time and they probably stopped putting him on the quick ship list. I shopped with them once - they lied to me to get me to come in and then didn't have what they said they had in stock so they never got my money... ever. I can't believe they lasted this long.
Apple, call me in to court with you. I'll testify that they were never really a viable operation to begin with that an Apple user would have actually spent money at - then we can sue them under California's frivilous law suits law.
Piece of crap store. I love how this guy has been poo pooing apple for supply chain issues etc. I guarantee that he was like 90 days out on his AP with Apple all the time and they probably stopped putting him on the quick ship list. I shopped with them once - they lied to me to get me to come in and then didn't have what they said they had in stock so they never got my money... ever. I can't believe they lasted this long.
Apple, call me in to court with you. I'll testify that they were never really a viable operation to begin with that an Apple user would have actually spent money at - then we can sue them under California's frivilous law suits law.
I guess it depends on the area where you live. Apple does not want any part of rural areas like South Dakota. We have 2 Apple Specialists in the state. One in Sioux Falls and one in Rapid City. I have had great experiences with both. When I was home on leave my HD was going bad on my Powerbook so I took it into Computer Village in Rapid City and in a couple of days they called me and said it was ready to go and moved all my data from the old HD to the new one for free. Mac Pros in Sioux Falls gave me a free $20 case when I bought my iPod from them, because they were just happy I came to them and did not go to Best Buy. When I decided I wanted a new iMac as a welcome home gift to myself from being in Iraq for a year all I had to do is email Rose at Computer Village and tell her what I wanted and she took the time to get it done for me and contacted my parents to pick it up for me. I just think it is nice to deal with small local businesses sometimes and I prefer this way of buying a computer and getting service on it. There will always be successful Apple Resellers, because there are many market areas in the United States and other places in the world that Apple Corporate won't touch. I don't know about these Resellers, but I have seen some good ones. Computer Village is about as nice of store as you will find. Not exactly like an Apple Store, but it is very attractive.
Gelfin said:
Ditto to that. Central Computer is great for PeeCee stuff. If MACadam had been even half a Central Computer, they probably would have survived.
I wouldn't be surprised if Apple did intentionally cause supply problems for MACadam. The place was an embassasment on Apple's home turf. As detail oriented as Steve is, I bet it was a thorn in his side. Although it's slightly monopolistic, if that's what happened, then I applaud his business accumen. It might cost a few million in lawsuits, but writing off a reseller that was damaging the brand makes good sense in the long run.
I've been trying to steer my Mac business to the Rosai Group, the Apple store has enough business. They're down on Bryant & 17th. Little store, but the people know their stuff and are friendly. That's the kind of reseller that should survive. (no, I'm not one of their employees.)