By Scott Fitzgerald
Apple fans, tech lovers, design aficionados and retail therapists – it’s been known for a few days now, but Apple has this morning made it official, the first Sydney branch of the Apple Store is opening at 5 pm, on Thursday June 19. The big blue banner will come down, and Apple’s latest foray into concept retail will be unveiled.
The address is the corner of King and George Streets, opposite the iconic Darrell Lea store, so get in early, make friends in the line and you can keep your sugar levels up while waiting with some of Darrell Lea’s finest. The dedicated early birds will receive some fashion love, as Apple is giving the 2,500 customers a special edition t-shirt.
The Sydney store will be over three levels, one of the few in the world to stretch to that extra floor. Inside are ALL the Apple products, concierges to help you find the spot in the store to get you the device or advice you need, and on the third floor is the Genius Bar, where you can receive free help, or attend one of the many courses Apple run, or even get some One-on-One training on things Apple.
There’s scads of computers inside to use for free, with free internet access. Overseas, people that don’t own a computer have used even Apple Stores to write books and plays, so the stores are not only a temple of commerce, they’re also centres of creativity.
The Apple Store is retail experience of the like that has rarely been seen in Australia, so even if you don’t want to queue with the extreme Apple fans on June 19, do wander in sometime soon, if not for the products then for the design and different approach Apple brings to retail.
The Apple Store back a few weeks ago, in serious construction mode
