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Apple Retail

1,470 'Apple Retail' stories September 2010 - January 2016
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Apple operates more than 500 retail stores across the globe.

iphone 16 pro max apple store

Apple operates more than 500 retail stores in 22 countries. Under the direction of Deirdre O’Brien, Apple Stores are staffed by more than 70,000 team members and 3,000 Creative Pros. Here’s everything you need to know about Apple Retail including COVID-19 status, new store openings, and the latest news.

Table of contents

COVID-19: Changes to the Apple Store experience

Wondering about the status of your local Apple Store? Check out our COVID-19 Reopening Tracker, which includes a full map of open stores, health and safety procedures, and all the information you need to know before your visit.

Apple Stores: What makes them unique?

Beyond their award-winning architecture and landmark designs, Apple Stores are known for their focus on education and creativity. Over 250,000 free Today at Apple sessions were offered to the community each quarter prior to the pandemic. New stores are designed with a Video Wall and gathering area for Today at Apple known as the Forum. Older “classic” locations are being upgraded to accommodate the same experience.

Hours and locations: Where can I find details about my local Apple Store?

Apple’s website has a great tool for finding nearby locations and store hours; just type in your address or zip code to get started. You can learn more about the design and details of Apple Stores at The Apple Store Glossary.

Apple Store appointments: How can get I help?

If you’re having a problem with your device or want to shop with a knowledgeable Specialist, take the time to make an appointment before your Apple Store visit. If you need to make a Genius Bar appointment or contact Apple Support, visit Apple’s website. To schedule a shopping session, visit this link or open the Apple Store app.

The latest store openings and upgrades

Share your experience

If you attend a store opening, spot something interesting, or attend a great Today at Apple session, we’d love to see and share your photos.

Apple on a roll with retail expansion in China as it announces 30th store, second this month

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Jan 7 2016 - 5:25 am PT
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China’s current economic problems – share trading suspended for the second time in a week after stocks fell 7% – doesn’t seem to be impacting Apple’s retail store expansion program in the country. The company has announced the opening of its 30th retail store in China, the second one it is opening this month. Back in 2014, the company set a goal of opening 40 stores in the country by October of this year.

The latest store is in Xiamen, a port city on the Taiwan Strait. Xiamen is home to one of the four Special Economic Zones established by the Chinese government back in the 1980s, to encourage foreign investment and trade.

Unusually, the store opens on a weekday, with Apple’s website showing that it will open at 10am on Thursday 14th January. The store is located in the SM Lifestyle Center at 399 Jiahe Road, in the Siming District of the city. It opens just a few days after the 29th store in Shenyang.

Apple leaks unreleased Space Black Milanese Loop Apple Watch band on Czech store site [Update: Gone!]

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Jan 6 2016 - 3:10 am PT
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[Update: All links and images of this Space Black Milanese Loop band have now been pulled from the web … We have asked Apple PR for clarification on the situation …]

Apple is readying the launch of a brand new Apple Watch band, a 42 mm Space Black Milanese Loop, suitable for Space Black steel watches. Third-party aftermarket black Milanese loops have been on sale for a while, but this is Apple official — assumedly matching their Space Black Link Bracelet in color and quality.

Despite no official announcement, this new Apple Watch band appeared on Czech Republic Apple Store website earlier today (following the announcement that the Watch would launch in the region later in month). As of now, it does not appear to be listed in any other Apple Store region. More pictures after the break …


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Apple continues China expansion, as store #29 opens on Saturday [Update: Latin America store rumors]

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Jan 4 2016 - 5:23 am PT
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Update: An anonymous source cited by MacRumors claims that Apple is planning a major expansion of its retail store program in Latin America, with the first two stores slated for Mexico City. A blurry photo of a claimed internal recruitment document (below) is provided.

The tipster claims the first Mexico City store will be located in the upscale Via Santa Fe area of Centro Santa Fe, the largest shopping mall in Latin America, while the second store will allegedly be in a prominent shopping district and adopt Apple’s next-generation store design used in Brussels, Cupertino, Dubai and elsewhere.

Other countries are also said to be in line for their own Apple Stores, including Chile, Peru and Argentina.

Apple’s rapid expansion in China continues apace as it works toward its target of 40 retail stores in the country by October of this year. The company is currently opening one Apple Store a month, with #27 in November, #28 in December and now #29 set to open this Saturday in Shenyang. 

Apple is mostly opening its Chinese stores inside major shopping malls, and this will be the sixth to open in a MixC mall.

This will be Apple’s second store in Shenyang, which is a major commercial hub for north-east China. The city has a population of just over eight million, and is noted for trade with Japan, Russia and Korea.

China is also known for counterfeit Apple products, with Dom recently taking an amusing look at some of the knock-offs he found in a recent visit to Shenzhen.

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Report: Apple retail stores to start selling accessibility accessories early next year

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Dec 21 2015 - 4:48 am PT
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High-resolution audio isn’t the only rumor emerging from Macotakara today, the site also claiming that Apple will begin selling accessibility accessories for Macs and iOS devices early next year.

In the second quarter of 2016 (January-March), Apple plans to release Accessibility-related peripherals and accessories for both iOS and OS X.

Apple has long championed access to technology for those with disabilities. The American Foundation for the Blind gave Apple a Helen Keller Achievement Award, while the president of the National Federation of the Blind stated that “Apple has done more for accessibility than any other company.”

Apple has previously highlighted Accessibility apps in its store, and Tim Cook last year told investors that while making its devices accessible doesn’t necessarily increase revenue, the company does so because it’s the right thing to do.

Photo: Resound

Apple extending iconic Hong Kong store to a third floor, new space opening soon

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Dec 16 2015 - 6:16 am PT
5 Comments

While Apple may be rolling out new stores in mainland China at a rapid rate, it isn’t neglecting Hong Kong. Some five months after opening its fourth Apple Store on the island, it is now expanding its very first store there.

The store at the International Finance Center is suspended above a major road in the city, and AppleInsider obtained a photo of a hoarding on the third floor stating that the new level would “open soon.”

Just a fortnight after fifth Beijing location, 28th Chinese Apple Store opening on Saturday

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Dec 8 2015 - 7:32 am PT
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It’s only a fortnight since Apple opened its 27th retail store in China, but there’s no sign of any let up in pace as the company heads towards its goal of 40 Apple Stores in China by October of next year. It has just added number 28 to its website, noting that the new store in Nanning will open on Saturday.

The store will be located inside the upmarket MixC complex in the Qingxiu District. In addition to a shopping mall with designer brands, the complex also boasts a 5-star hotel, upscale offices and a high-rise luxury residential building.

Nanning, located close to the border with Vietnam, is known as China’s “Green City” due to the tropical plant-life in its many parks. The city is home to around 6.6 million people.

Bomb scare closes Tokyo Apple Store as handwritten note demands talk be cancelled

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Dec 7 2015 - 4:52 am PT
5 Comments

Apple cancelled a talk scheduled to be held yesterday at its Tokyo Ginza retail store after a handwritten bomb threat was received, reports Public Slate. The store was closed for an hour while police searched for explosives, but nothing was found.

The event was to feature guest, Isao Yukisada, a Japanese film director. The director was scheduled to speak at 2 p.m.

It’s not known why the event was targeted.

The store previously made the news when it opened its doors early to allow queuing iPhone customers in before an approaching typhoon hit.

Via CoM

Craig Federighi promotes Hour of Code workshops, saying programming is “the next level of literacy”

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Dec 7 2015 - 3:54 am PT
6 Comments

In an interview to promote Apple’s Hour of Code workshops for kids aged 6 and up, SVP of software engineering Craig Federighi has told the BBC that introducing young children to programming is so important because programming is “the next level of literacy.”

“These devices are so much a part of our lives, we have a computer in some form wherever we go, that the ability to create in that medium is as fundamental as the ability to write,” he said […]

He says programming should be seen as a “language and a way of thinking”. And while many young people have a great facility in using devices, he says being able to programme them is the “next level of literacy”.

Federighi, who first began to experiment with code when he was ten years old, said that Apple also wanted to dispel one of the myths of life as a software engineer … 
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Apple bundling $60 Apple Music/iTunes gift cards with most Beats headphones and speakers

Avatar for Zac Hall Dec 3 2015 - 8:46 pm PT
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Apple’s new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016QXV2QK?qid=1449202644&ref_=sr_1_1&keywords=beats%252520pill%25252B&tag=n003f1-20&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Beats Pill+</a> Bluetooth speaker

Apple may have outsourced Black Friday discounts on its products to other retailers this year, but it’s not staying completely out of the promotion game during the Christmas shopping season. Starting today Apple is bundling $60 gift cards that can be used toward Apple Music memberships with almost all Beats headphones and speakers purchased from Apple for a limited time. The promotion specifically pushes Apple Music memberships as it can pay for almost 6 months of access, but the $60 credit can be used toward iTunes, iBooks, and App Store, and Mac App Store purchases and subscriptions as well.
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Microsoft charms ‘old friends’ at 5th Ave Apple Store with ‘Peace on Earth’ performance [Video]

Avatar for Zac Hall Dec 1 2015 - 8:14 am PT
27 Comments

While Apple’s Christmas ad brought Stevie Wonder and Andra Day together this year for a warm performance of ‘Someday at Christmas’, Microsoft decided to take to the cold streets of New York City this year for their holiday commercial … right in front of the iconic 5th Avenue Apple Store. Taking a rather cheeky approach to celebrating the season while naming the competition, Microsoft Store employees from a nearby location traveled down the block to sing ‘Peace on Earth’ to “some old friends” decked in red shirts … Apple Store employees.
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Apple rolls out Personal Pickup to six more European countries as of today

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Dec 1 2015 - 5:50 am PT
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Apple’s Personal Pickup service – where you place your order online but can pick it up from a local Apple Store as early as an hour later – just hit six more European countries today: France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden.

Long limited to the U.S. only, it made its way to Australia and Canada a couple of weeks ago, and the UK a few days later. German site Macerkopf first noticed its availability in Germany, before updating with the additional five countries.

Personal Pickup can be a useful option if you’re in a hurry, allowing you to get your hands on a product the same day while minimizing the amount of time you spend fighting the crowds in an Apple Store.

Apple TV expands App Store categories beyond games and entertainment

Avatar for Zac Hall Nov 24 2015 - 11:25 am PT
9 Comments

Apple TV users should notice several new App Store categories when browsing for new content on tvOS. After initially launching without a dedicated categories section live in late October, Apple pushed the new section to new Apple TVs without a software update earlier this month. The latest expansion brings the total number of tvOS app categories to seven, up from five initially, which should further improve new app discovery.
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The Chinese Apple Stores keep coming: number 27 opens on Saturday

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 23 2015 - 4:00 am PT
4 Comments

Apple is making good progress with its aim of having 40 retail stores open in China by next October, announcing that the 27th store will be opening on Saturday in the Chaoyang Joy City shopping mall, Beijing. It will be the fifth Apple Store to open in China’s capital city.

Apple has doubled its year-on-year revenue from China for two quarters running, with the country already representing a larger market than Europe and on track to become a bigger one that the USA … 
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Apple brings Personal Pickup to the UK today, following expansion to Australia and Canada

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 20 2015 - 6:12 am PT
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If you want to get your hands on a shiny new piece of Apple kit right away, but want to minimize the amount of time you have to spend doing battle with the crowds in an Apple Store, U.S. customers have long had the option of placing their order online and then going to a store later the same day or soon after to collect it.

Apple extended the option to Australia and Canada earlier this week, and has now done the same for the UK.

Personal Pickup is available for most in-stock Apple products. To check availability, select your item on the Apple website and then select the ‘Available for pickup: Check availability’ option. You’ll be prompted to enter your postcode to search for nearby stores, and can then see which ones show the product as ‘Available today.’

Once you’ve placed your order, it will usually be available for pickup within the hour, though Apple cautions customers to wait for the email telling them it’s ready.

Apple will remember your selected store and offer this first next time, with an option to search other stores if your chosen item is not available there.

Via Pocket-Lint

Renderings show spectacular plans for new Frank Lloyd Wright-style Apple Store on the Chicago River

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 18 2015 - 4:13 am PT
12 Comments
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Planning documents obtained by the Chicago Tribune reveal Apple’s spectacular plans for a new flagship store on the north bank of the Chicago River. Fittingly for the city which was home to Frank Lloyd Wright, the design echoes the Midwestern Prairie Style buildings created by the famous architect.

Apple confirmed the plans to the Tribune, which reports that they have already been granted approval, with a formal presentation set to ‘rubber-stamp’ the decision on Thursday … 
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Apple expands same-day delivery to New York as holiday shopping season kicks off

Avatar for Chance Miller Nov 17 2015 - 2:47 pm PT
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After initially launching same-day delivery in partnership with Postmates earlier this year in San Francisco, Apple today has revealed that the capability is expanding to more locations. Users today have started noticing that same-day delivery from Apple’s online store and Apple Store app is now supported in New York.


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Apple’s iPad Pro Pencil delays lead scalpers to seek $400 eBay payouts

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Nov 16 2015 - 9:25 am PT
8 Comments

With the accessory in short supply at Apple Stores, the new Apple Pencil stylus for the iPad Pro is listed for as high as $400 on eBay, four times the $99 sticker price through Apple.

Most models of Apple’s new 12.9-inch iPad Pro launched last week are available at Apple Stores and shipping for online orders in 1-7 days, but accessories for the device are harder to find. Despite Apple’s new Smart Keyboard case and Apple Pencil stylus being among the the standout new features alongside the iPad Pro’s larger display, they appear to be in shorter supply with both backordered 4-5 weeks online and hard to find in stores after hardly being available on day one.

The short supply of the accessories frustrated early adopters of the new iPad Pro enough that Apple offered a comment last week, noting that it has “limited supply of Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard” and that it will continue “regular shipments” of the accessories to Apple Stores.

We, however, managed to get our hands on the new Apple Pencil for an unboxing over the weekend, while Ben has been logging his day-to-day experience with the iPad Pro.

If you’re absolutely desperate for an Apple Pencil, can’t wait a month or more for Apple to catch up with demand, and want to pay a little higher than retail price, you can find a handful of listings on eBay here.

Apple to be first company in Singapore to power all operations from solar energy as first Apple Store confirmed

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 16 2015 - 4:42 am PT
4 Comments

Apple has announced that it will power all of its operations in Singapore from solar energy, the first company in the city-state to do so. The scheme will also provide electricity to around 9,000 public-owned homes.

CNET reports that Apple is partnering with local clean energy provide Sunseap.

The Cupertino consumer electronics giant has partnered with Singapore’s largest clean energy provider, Sunseap Group, who will provide power to Apple’s 2,500-person corporate campus and retail store. Energy will be obtained from solar panels laid on the rooftops of 800 buildings.

Retail head Angela Ahrendts also confirmed to The Strait Times earlier reports that it is opening its first Apple Store in Singapore, with hiring underway …


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Tim Cook in company-wide email: Melbourne Apple Store incident “unacceptable”

Avatar for Mike Beasley Nov 13 2015 - 12:26 pm PT
17 Comments

Apple CEO Tim Cook sent an email to all of the company’s employees today addressing the situation at Apple’s Melbourne, Australia store that saw a group of teens booted from the outlet by management due to their race. The incident was captured in a video that appeared online this week.

In the email, which bore the subject line “Apple is open,” Cook calls the handling of the situation “unacceptable” and says that no one in Apple’s leadership was happy about what happened. He also said that store leadership teams worldwide would be required to re-take certain customer service training.


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Apple Store manager apologizes to six schoolboys after alleged racist ejection from Australian store [Video]

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 12 2015 - 5:18 am PT
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Update: Apple has issued a statement to BuzzFeed News regarding this incident:

“Inclusion and diversity are among Apple’s core values. We believe in equality for everyone, regardless of race, age, gender, gender identity, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. That applies throughout our company, around the world with no exceptions. We’ve looked into the details of the situation and we apologise to the customers involved. We will continue to do everything in our power to ensure all our customers are treated the way they should be.”

The manager of an Apple Store in Australia has apologised after six teenagers aged 15 and 16 were asked to leave the store when a member of staff expressed concerns than they might steal something. The youths allege that their ejection from the store in Melbourne’s Highpoint Shopping Centre (pictured above at its grand opening) was due to the color of their skin. The teens were born in Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria, Eritrea and Egypt before emigrating to Australia as children.

A video shows a member of the store staff stating that security staff were “concerned about your presence in our store, worried that you might steal something.”

Apple told Mashable that it was investigating the incident, and the BBC later reported that the store manager had apologized to the teens, and that this apology had been accepted.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CHftBRuSr8]

CEO Tim Cook has said that diversity is crucial to Apple’s future, the company issuing an annual report on gender and ethnicity in its workforce. The latest data, published back in August, showed small increases in minority hiring, with black employees increasing from 7% to 8% and Asian staff up from 15% to 18%. Cook said he is proud of the progress the company has made but “we know there is a lot more work to be done.”

Impatient to get your hands on an iPad Pro? Some stores have them in stock today …

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 11 2015 - 5:56 am PT
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While Apple had indicated earlier today that nobody would be getting their hands on an iPad Pro until Friday, it seems that some of you may be in luck and able to pick one up today.

When ordering through the app, AppAdvice noticed the pickup option allowed them to collect today from a number of Apple Stores. We’ve independently verified with Apple that this is isn’t a glitch – and they even have very limited numbers available today for walk-in purchases … 
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