The indestructible Apple Store?

Apple opened its first brick-and-mortar stores in 2001 and hasn’t looked back since. Philip Michaels considers some of the reasons for Apple’s successful retail expansion.

Microsoft puts "I'm a PC" kiosk near Apple store

Microsoft has taken to placing its own physical presence in front of Apple's retail stores to drive home its "I'm a PC" marketing campaign, an AppleInsider reader has shown through a photo. The Windows developer has put a kiosk in front of at least the Apple Store Bullring in Birmingham, UK that lets users record their own "I'm a PC" segment for contribution to the campaign, which is entering a n...

Two Canadian Apple Stores set to open

Rejoice, Apple-loving Canadians. Apple will open two new retail stores this weekend. One in Calgary, Alberta and the other in Toronto, Ontario. Apple Store Market Mall will be the 2nd store in Alberta when it opens at 9:30 AM on Saturday, 27th. It's located between 32nd Avenue NW and 40th Avenue NW on the West side of Shaganappi Trail NW. You can find full travel directions here. At the same time, Apple Store Fairview will open in Toronto at 1800 Sheppard Avenue East. Here are your travel directions. These will be the 8th and 9th stores to open in Canada. If you visit either location, please share your stories and photos. Have fun!Thanks to everyone who sent this in!Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple Store Colorado Springs: photos from opening day

Apple junkies who live in Colorado Springs, CO used to have to drive about 75 miles north to Denver to visit either the Park Meadows or Aspen Grove Apple Stores. Now they finally have an Apple Store of their own at the Promenade Shops at Briargate, which opened on Saturday, September 20th.Reader Denny noted "Firefighter Memorial Ride happened to be the same day and organized from the parking lot. At first, I thought Apple had a new market in Firefighters and Harley riders." Denny moved to Colorado Springs just three weeks ago from Orlando, FL, where he had his pick of three Apple Stores. Denny's Flickr slide show can be viewed here.TUAW reader Marc mentioned that "Colorado Springs being a smaller market, the turnout wasn't as great as for some other openings -- there were about 40 people in line when I arrived about 8:30 am and another 40 or so filled out the line by the 9:00 am opening time." They may have T-shirts available for a while at that store... Marc's Flickr slide show is here.Thanks to Denny, Marc, and Randy for their coverage of the event.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple Store Park City, Lancaster PA: Photos from opening day

It's a fine Saturday for a new Apple Store -- in fact, it's a fine day for five of them, ranging from the mighty Pacific to the towering Rockies, from the fruited hills of Pennsylvania to the verdant valleys of Northern Ireland. [Dial it back there, Woody Guthrie. - Ed.] Even as most economic indicators suggest a surging market in canned goods and clothing made from barrels, Apple is merrily investing in more retail outlets.Fresh from the opening of the Park City Apple Store in Lancaster, PA, reader Jonathan Ober sent in his photos of the festivities; you can review all the fun in the gallery below. Did you visit one of the other store openings today? Shoot us a quick tip with a link to your photos or stories and we'll share them with the world.Another note for anyone visiting the stores this weekend: I noticed at the 14th Street store in New York City yesterday that the new iPod nanos ($149/$199 US) were paired up in demo stations with the Bose QuietComfort 3 noise-cancelling headphones ($350 US).While the sound quality was extraordinary, and the noise-suppression effect quite noticeable on the loud 2nd floor of the store, I have to think that using a pair of cans that costs 2x as much as the iPod isn't really fair to consumers, who are going to be a little disappointed with the bundled headphones after that experience. Are the Bose high-end 'phones ubiquitous in all stores with the nanos, or just in NYC? If you're shopping for a new iPod, do you bring your own headphones along to try it out? Just wondering... let us know below.Gallery: Park City, Lancaster PA Apple StoreRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Five more Apple Stores to open this weekend

In addition to a store in Belfast, Apple also plans three U.S. openings on Saturday in Lancaster, Pa., Colorado Springs, Colo., Escondido, Calif., and San Mateo, Calif.