Tag Archives: retail

Chinese activists complain of Apple Store light pollution

Environmental activist group, Friends of the Earth HK, claims Apple's Causeway flagship store in Hong Kong is a major contributor to light pollution in the area. Apple reportedly runs about 500 lamps and spotlights over night, and the light spills outside of the store into the Hong Kong streets. According to a report in M.I.C. Gadget, Friends of the Earth HK says light from the store can be seen as far as 700 meters away.

Hong Kong is known for its colorful and illuminated skyline, but all these lights may be having a negative effect on residents. A recent study suggests that parts of Hong Kong have light levels that are 1,200 times higher than international standards. This nighttime brightness is affecting the sleep patterns of residents who can't escape the blinking neon. A government task force is looking at ways of curbing light pollution from restaurants, retail outlets and other buildings in the area. Though Apple isn't being targeted by the government, M.I.C. Gadget claims the council has received several complaints about the amount of light pouring out of Apple's retail stores at night.

Chinese activists complain of Apple Store light pollution originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 21 May 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple’s first store in South Australia to open on Saturday

Apple has announced that its next Apple store will open at Rundle Place Centre in Adelaide, South Australia this Saturday. It will be the first Apple Store in South Australia. This will bring the number of Apple's retail stores in Australia up to 20.

Rundle Place Centre is a four-story shopping center with over 70 retail outlets. The store is set to open at 10 AM local time this Saturday. However, interested customers can already set up Genius Bar appointments on the store's web page.

Apple's first store in South Australia to open on Saturday originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 21 May 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple to re-locate flagship store in San Francisco

Apple to relocate flagship store in San Francisco

Attendees of Macworld/iWorld and WWDC have always known that if they needed an Apple fix during their conference stay, they could walk over to the Apple Store at the corner of Stockton and Ellis streets. The SFGate blog is reporting that the company has submitted plans to open a new flagship store on Union Square a few blocks away.

The new store is expected to occupy a space at Stockton and Post streets that was previously the home of a Levi's store. The design of the new building is intriguing -- it's a silver box-shaped store with an all-glass front, with the iconic Apple logo seemingly floating in midair.

Apple said that the move to the new location -- about 45 percent larger than the existing store -- will increase employment by about 50 jobs over the existing 350. There's currently no schedule for the renovation and relocation.

San Francisco politicians were thrilled by the news, with Supervisor David Chiu saying that he hoped the new flagship store would "turbo-charge" the Union Square area, and Mayor Ed Lee saying his office is working with Apple on green initiatives.

Apple to re-locate flagship store in San Francisco originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 16 May 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple announces 50 billionth app download, contest winner

Apple announces 50 billionth app download, contest winner

Brandon Ashmore from Mentor, Ohio hit the App Store lottery yesterday by downloading the 50 billionth app to be served by Apple's App Store. Namely, it was Say The Same Thing by Space Inch that allowed Brandon to collect his prize, and what a prize it is: an App Store gift card with US$10,000 on it. Have fun spending that, Brandon!

Apple announces 50 billionth app download, contest winner originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 16 May 2013 08:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Revamped AppleCare means changes for Genius Bar employees

When my iPad 3 was acting funny -- and by that I mean a sleep/wake button that would only work on every third press -- I made an appointment at the Genius Bar at my local Apple Store. Fifteen minutes later I walked out with a brand-new replacement iPad. Many readers who have owned a faulty iPhone, iPod or iPad will have had experiences similar to my own: broken iDevice, go to Apple store, get new one. But now that's all set to change.

According to reports from AppleInsider, Apple vice president Tara Bunch announced to employees last week that AppleCare will be changing in the US, with international markets to follow. Soon iDevices with faulty hardware won't necessarily be replaced with new units. The role and capabilities of Geniuses in Apple stores will soon be expanded to allow them to fix the faulty parts, instead of having to issue completely new hardware. As AppleInisder explains:

Currently, Apple Stores have the tools to replace speakers, receivers, home buttons, the vibrator motor and battery. Come June, capabilities will be expanded to display replacement, and by July cameras, sleep/wake buttons and logic boards will be dealt with in-store. In addition, employees will have access to advanced diagnostics tools that can remotely assess hardware issues and relay the data directly to technicians, allowing for quicker turnaround times.

The move is expected to save Apple a whopping US$1 billion a year in replacement costs. As to how the move will affect customers' perception of AppleCare remains to be seen. AI also reported on other potential changes to AppleCare, including a switch from per-device coverage to per-user coverage. Under the new model, all of a user's devices would be covered under an AppleCare subscription-based model.

Revamped AppleCare means changes for Genius Bar employees originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 13 May 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fifth Avenue Apple Store experiences a water leak

The Apple Store on New York's Fifth Avenue is a veritable marvel of engineering, with its glass cube leading down into an underground space. But putting the store underground like that makes it more vulnerable to water leaks, and sure enough, that's what's happened earlier today in New York. The Post reports that heavy rain in the city caused water to erupt through the ceiling of the store, sending employees running and sliding tables around to protect the merchandise.

The issue doesn't sound so bad; the water was mopped up quickly, and the store never actually closed. But the Post also says that one worker on site claims there's an issue with the stone slabs in the store entryway, which sit above the underground retail space. Incoming customers walk across those every day, and past construction in the area may not have been up to snuff. If that's the case, it seems there might be more renovation in the Fifth Avenue store's future -- hopefully the employees there can avoid another indoor downpour.

Fifth Avenue Apple Store experiences a water leak originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 08 May 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPad commands lion’s share of tablet market despite Samsung’s gains

The latest Q1 2013 research data from IDC shows that the market for tablets is absolutely booming, growing 142.4 percent year over year. To put that into context, IDC notes that the 49.2 million tablets shipped during the first three months of 2013 is greater than the number of tablets shipped during the first six months of 2012.

As one might expect, Apple's iPad continues to lead the tablet charge, ranking first in both market share and in overall unit sales. Specifically, Apple's iPad sales increased 65.3 percent year over year, climbing from 11.8 million units during Q1 2012 to 19.5 million units during Q1 2013.

Apple's market share, however, went down from 58.1 percent to 39.6 percent on account of impressive sales growth from competing manufacturers.

Samsung, for example, saw its tablet shipments increase by 282.6 percent year over year while Amazon enjoyed an estimated 157.1 percent increase in unit shipments year over year. The big winner this quarter was Asus who saw its year over year tablet growth explode by 350 percent, undoubtedly bolstered by strong sales of the Nexus 7.

Despite gains from Samsung, Apple's iPad still commands a lion's share of the tablet market

When you break up the tablet market by operating system, Apple's iOS falls to second place behind Android.

Despite gains from Samsung, Apple's iPad still commands a lion's share of the tablet market

iPad commands lion's share of tablet market despite Samsung's gains originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 02 May 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple Store app updated with iPhone upgrade notifications

Apple has pushed out a new update to its Apple Store app for iOS. Version 2.6 will notify you when an item you've ordered has been shipped and delivered. But perhaps the coolest push notification is the one that tells you when your iPhone is eligible for upgrade pricing. The iPhone upgrade eligibility is only available to US users.

Here's the details from the listing:

- Choose to receive notifications that let you know exactly when you're eligible for upgrade pricing on a new iPhone. And since all you need to complete the order is your Apple ID and password, buying your new iPhone is fast and easy (US only).

- Stay on top of your delivery with notifications. We'll let you know when your order ships, keep you informed of any updates and notify you when it's delivered.

The Apple Store app is a free download.

Apple Store app updated with iPhone upgrade notifications originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple drops prices on refurbished second-, third-gen iPads

Those of you looking to get your hands on a qualified refurbished iPad might want to check out the Apple store online. Apple has dropped prices on second- and third-generation models. The discounts apply to only the WiFi+3G and WiFi+Cellular models and not the WiFi-only models.

Interested customers can now pick up a second-generation iPad WiFi+3G 16 GB for only US$349 -- that's $180 (34 percent) off the regular $529 price. The 32 GB unit costs $429 (a $200 savings), and the 64 GB is $529 ($200 off).

As for the third-generation iPad WiFi+Cellular, the 16 GB is only $409 -- that's $170 (29 percent) off the regular $579 price. The 32 GB unit costs $499 (a $180 savings), and the 64 GB is $579 ($200 off).

Prices on refurbed models are, as always, only good while supplies last.

Apple drops prices on refurbished second-, third-gen iPads originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iTunes maintains its music download dominance as Amazon plays catch-up

Nearly 10 years after the iTunes Music Store first opened up for business, iTunes remains the market leader in digital music downloads.

According to a research report published by the NPD Group earlier this week, iTunes accounted for approximately 63 percent of all digital music downloads in 2012. Trailing behind is AmazonMP3 with a somewhat respectable 22 percent share. While Amazon has a ways to go before even getting close to Apple, the world's largest online retailer has been making significant gains in that regard. In 2011, Amazon's share of the digital music download market checked in at 15 percent, representing a solid 50 percent increase year over year.

"Since the launch of Apple's iTunes store, digital music downloads have become the dominant revenue source for the recorded music industry and iTunes continues to be the dominant retailer," said Russ Crupnick, senior vice president of industry analysis at NPD. "There's a belief that consumers don't need to buy music because of streaming options, when in fact streamers are much more likely than the average consumer to buy music downloads."

The report adds that 44 million Americans downloaded a digital song or album last year.

To help contextualize the raging success that is the iTunes Music Store, Apple in early February announced that consumers had downloaded over 25 billion songs. That averages out to about 15,000 songs downloaded per minute.

The iTunes Music Store currently offers over 26 million songs to choose from and is available in 119 countries.

iTunes maintains its music download dominance as Amazon plays catch-up originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scaffolding comes down from first Berlin Apple store

Next month, Apple will open its first store in Berlin, and in a sign that the completion of the store is progressing as scheduled, today the exterior construction scaffolding has started to come down. AppleInsider got its hands on some of the pictures of the store sans scaffolding and from the initial images, it seems Apple has done a good job in restoring -- and preserving -- the historic building.

The Berlin store will be housed in a former movie theater in the city's Ku'damm 26 district. The district is the most expensive shopping local in the former West Berlin, according to AI. It's neighbors will include a Hard Rock Cafe across the street. Once opened, the Berlin store will be Apple's 11th in Germany, and the country's largest.

Scaffolding comes down from first Berlin Apple store originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why Apple Needs Ron Johnson Back to Head-up Retail

ron johnsonAccording to CNBC, JC Penney’s Chief Executive Officer was asked to step down from his position on Monday. Why is this important to Apple news followers? If you don’t remember the name Ron Johnson, he used to be the head of retail at Apple and was the man in charge of spearheading the retail store creation, an endeavor that has proven to be lucrative for the iPad maker.

His old position at Apple has been vacant for more than half a year now and it is possible that Apple wants him back.

When Johnson took the reigns at JC Penney, he really shook things up. The department store best known for its big sales went the complete opposite direction for marketing purposes. Thanks to Johnson’s innovative thinking, JC Penney stopped having sales and simply reduced all items to an “everyday low price” to let shoppers know that they aren’t trying to trick you into sales that are nothing more than marked up items that get discounted to the price they should already be.

While the idea sounds nice on paper, it didn’t work. Unfortunately, Johnson’s tactics were too far out there for a traditional department store like JC Penney.

That being said, Johnson is the perfect man to head Apple’s retail store market. His out-of-the-box way of thinking and “so crazy it might just work” ideas are the kinds of things Apple prides itself on.

Apple retail stores are doing just fine. If you’ve ever stepped foot into one, you’ve seen that they are always packed with customers. However, the Apple Store isn’t special anymore. Many gadget companies have followed Johnson’s lead and have implemented similar design layouts and interactive stations for their technology.

What Apple needs now are Johnson’s inventive ideas for something new and different that would turn the retail world upside-down. And, unlike JC Penney customers, we expect Apple to do something different. We would embrace these changes instead of rejecting them.

[Via: AppleInsider]

» Related posts: Did Samsung Rip Off Apple’s Retail Store Concept? Apple Says it ‘Messed Up’ With Recent Apple Retail Store Job Cuts How Apple and iPad Plan to Take Over the Cash Register in Retail

GAME in the UK to sell iPads

Game UK to sell iPadsUK retailer GAME is ready to begin selling iPads. Not just iPads, but a whole army of tablets, each ready to fly into the arms of credit card-wielding consumers.

Like other video game / console chains, GAME has struggled a bit as more and more consumers purchase downloadable games it has realized that selling the hardware that gives access to some of the world's most prolific virtual game shops is a good business move. Here's hoping an infusion of tablet goodness brings shoppers back into its stores, even if those shoppers don't come back to buy games for their tablets.

Show full PR text TABLETS GALORE: GAME INTRODUCES RANGE TO SUIT ALL BUDGETS

The new range has something to suit every taste and budget, starting from just

Apple Store is down (update: back up)

The Apple Store went down for maintenance at midnight ET. What will the refresh bring? Maybe a surprise or two this April morning. Tipster Daniel was in the middle of buying a book from iPhoto when the upload cut out about halfway through. Thanks for the tip, Daniel, and good luck getting your photo book produced!

7:38 AM ET: Store's back up, and no obvious changes -- did anyone spot a shift? Although our commenters note that T-Mobile preorders for iPhone 5 are due today, those don't appear on the Apple Store yet.

1:12 PM ET: It seems Apple has added handy, touch-friendly navigation and search results for those shopping from an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. For example, you can now swipe through product categories. Also, search results are now presented as a tap-able grid.

Apple Store is down (update: back up) originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple Brazil cuts price on iPhone 4, iPhone 4S

Brazilian iPhone fans have something to cheer about today. The prices for both the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S have been reduced to a much more reasonable level than before, although they're still much more expensive than the carrier-subsidized phones we're used to here in North America.

An 8 GB iPhone 4 used to pull R$1,499 (US$743) out of a Brazilian's cartiera (wallet), and now makes a smaller dent at R$1,099 ($544). If you want a 16 GB iPhone 4S, that's now available for only R$1,699 ($840), a significant discount over the previous price of R$1,999 ($991).

Brazilian newspaper O Globo says that those willing to pay in full in person or by phone at an Apple dealer can probably get another 10 percent discount off of these already much lower prices.

Apple Brazil cuts price on iPhone 4, iPhone 4S originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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San Francisco Apple Store to be expanded

Apple is planning to expand its retail store in San Francisco's Stonestown Galleria, says a report in ifoAppleStore. The Stonestown store is one of Apple's smallest retail stores with a storefront that measures 25 feet wide and a footprint that offers a measly 1,500 square feet of retail space for customers, merchandise and services.

According to ifoAppleStore, Apple will be moving to a nearby location in the mall that'll triple the space of its current store. The new spot will have a curved glass front, which will fit in nicely with Apple's design aesthetics.

San Francisco Apple Store to be expanded originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 01 Apr 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Buy to provide Samsung mini-stores as Apple competition heats up

The battles between Apple and Samsung have been heating up for a while, and there is a new battleground for the two foes -- the aisles of Best Buy stores. Geek.com reported this morning that some high-traffic Best Buy stores have been given orders to remove two aisles next to the mobile section of their stores to make room for a Samsung "store within a store."

At this time, Best Buy stores include an Apple mini-store where customers can browse and buy their favorite Apple products and accessories. The first wave of the Samsung mini-stores will be done in time for the release of the Galaxy S4 next month, but it's expected that the content and ubiquity of the stores will later in the year. By then, other Samsung phones and tablets will be added to the mix of products, and the mini-stores should be in every Best Buy.

Like the Apple mini-stores, the Samsung stores will be manned by Best Buy employees specially trained to answer questions about the company's products and to assist customers in making purchasing decisions. Samsung has been opening its own "Samsung Experience Stores" in major cities around the globe to market its tablet, smartphone, PC and HDTV products, but the stores haven't achieved the success of Apple's retail outlets.

While the Samsung mini-stores are sure to give their Apple counterparts a lot of competition, the move will definitely benefit Best Buy by furthering its reputation as the place to go for mobile technology.

Best Buy to provide Samsung mini-stores as Apple competition heats up originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple to triple franchise stores in India

The India Times is reporting that Apple plans to triple the number of franchisee stores it has in the country to 200 locations by 2015. Speaking under the conditions of anonymity, some of the 17 Indian franchisees told the India Times that Apple has asked the franchisees to dramatically scale up operations in the country as they plan for aggressive growth. In addition to expanding the number of Apple Premium Resellers, Apple also plans to expand its presence in multi-brand stores, according to the Indian Times.

The importance of India to Apple's future is becoming clear. Along with Brazil and China, India will see some of the largest growth on the planet in the smartphone market. Just last month, the iPhone became the number two selling smartphone in India (three months earlier it wasn't even in the top five). That move was in part due to Apple rolling out iPhone payment installment plans in the country in February.

Apple to triple franchise stores in India originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 26 Mar 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study: Higher resolution smartphone screens mean more in-app purchases

Study Higher resolution smartphone screens mean more inapp purchasesThe results of the study discussed in this post seem obvious when you think about it, but at least there's some empirical data to back it the findings. A study conducted by Pocket Gems suggests that people whose smartphones (including iPhones) have high-resolution screens are more likely to buy in-app purchases from game apps, according to AllThingsD.

Pocket Gems found that "...the iPhone 5 monetizes nearly four times that of the older-generation iPhone 3GS." Likewise, the study found that those using Android devices with high-resolution screens were "nearly 10 times as likely to make an in-app purchase" vs. their lower-resolution counterparts. Interestingly, the iPad did not follow the trend, and did not show a correlation between screen resolution and in-app buying habits.

That's interesting, but I'm not convinced that screen resolution is the determining variable. For example, those who buy the latest and greatest iPhone might have more discretionary income than those still using the 4-year-old 3GS. I don't know if these factors were taken into account, and I also don't know what the study's sample looked like (number, demographic, etc.).

Still, it's an interesting finding. AllThingsD has some infographics that represent additional information.

Study: Higher resolution smartphone screens mean more in-app purchases originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Apple Stores set to open in UK and Germany

We heard earlier this year that Apple was planning to expand its retail business "disproportionately outside the US," and it looks like that plan is being put into motion starting now. In addition to a new Apple Store opening up this Thursday in Leeds, UK, the company has posted job listings for stores opening soon in both Munich and Dusseldorf, in Germany. So there are three stores starting up in Europe, and Apple's expanding in other countries as well -- it now has retail locations in 13 countries around the world, after opening up a store in Turkey last year.

And Apple's also expanding inside the US, bringing 20 of its local stores to larger spaces. I live right near the Santa Monica, Calif., Apple Store, and it seems that store was one of those that moved: Apple found a new location right down the street from the original, with a much larger space that's reminiscent of the company's flagship Grand Central Terminal store. The new space features high ceilings and lots of space above tables of course filled with various Apple goodies to buy. Most of the innovation we talk about from Apple comes with its new product releases, but it's clear the company is working hard on innovating in the retail space as well.

New Apple Stores set to open in UK and Germany originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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