Retail

“Online Stores” dropped from Angela Ahrendts’s title, but she is still Apple’s retail boss

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 3, 2016

Apple's boss of online and physical retail stores, Angela Ahrendts, no longer has “Online Stores” in her official title. Instead, Apple is now referring to her role simply as “Senior Vice President, Retail” to better reflect its efforts to simply retail branding. Her reworded title along with a tweaked job description is live at the Apple Leadership webpage.

The change occurred over this past weekend. This is a purely cosmetic change: her responsibilities have not shifted and she is still in charge of all things retail at Apple.

Apple Regent Street to reopen on October 15

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 3, 2016

Apple announced today that its flagship Regent Street store in London, England, will reopen on Saturday, October 15, after the company spent more than a year on major interior renovations. The new-look store will preserve the building's historic look, like before. “We're making the store you love even lovelier,” reads the Apple Regent Street's listing on the official Apple Retail website.

Apple is removing third-generation Apple TV from store shelves

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 8, 2016

The writing has been on the wall for the third-generation Apple TV since the fourth-generation model debuted in October 2015 with its refreshed hardware, Siri Remote and a brand new operating system, tvOS, that supports an App Store with third-party apps and games.

Apple now appears to be ready to kiss the previous-generation device good-bye: 9to5Mac reports that the third-generation Apple TV is being pulled from store shelves as Apple begins phasing it out.

Apple Store updates: design changes, new & renamed positions + ambitious retail credo

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 22, 2016

During an all-hands meeting held with retail employees this weekend, Apple's retail boss Angela Ahrendts discussed changes coming to its brick-and-mortar locations while revealing an updated corporate credo that all retail employees are expected to follow.

She also announced three new retail positions—Pro, Creative Pro and Technical Expert—renamed a few existing ones and shared tidbits on Jony Ive-approved store design and layout, as first discovered by MacRumors.

Apple Stores in Annapolis, Kansas City and Glasgow getting next-gen makeover

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 19, 2016

As announced on the Apple Retail webpage, the company's three brick-and-mortar outlets located in Annapolis, Kansas City and Glasgow will reopen next week with next-generation design positioning them as gathering places for their communities with features like sequoia wood tables and shelves, a 6K video wall with seating called “The Forum” and more.

Apple’s upcoming World Trade Center store to open next Tuesday

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 11, 2016

Apple is set to open a new brick-and-mortar outlet at the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, a $4 billion train transit station in Lower Manhattan, in less than a week, on Tuesday, August 16, at 12pm ET. The firm announced that its tenth store in New York City, located at 185 Greenwich Street, is located in the lower level section of the Oculus Transportation Hub.

India’s finance minister ratifies a proposal that’d let Apple run retail stores in the country

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 10, 2016

Apple is one step closer to opening first-party retail stores in India, its increasingly significant market with population of 1.3 billion people, with a new Bloomberg report claiming that India’s finance minister Arun Jaitley has approved a proposal that clarifies how Apple could open retail stores without initially having to source components locally.

Last month, the cabinet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved a three-year extension on local-sourcing rules that require foreign firms wanting to run their own local retail stores to source at least 30 percent of components within the populous country.

Apple confirms a new retail store opening at World Trade Center later this year

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 28, 2016

Jason Barlia, who is Market Director for Apple's New York stores, confirmed today to CNET plans to open a brand new brick-and-mortar store at the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, a $4 billion train transit station in Lower Manhattan. The forthcoming store will be opening doors to shoppers later in 2016.

Apple makes significant progress on its first retail store in Singapore

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 27, 2016

Apple's first retail store in Singapore appears to be progressing nicely, with new photos obtained by MacRumors proving that the construction of the store's glass facade and canopy is now well underway. Apple confirmed in November 2015 that its first-ever store in the Southeast Asia city-state will be powered by hundred percent renewable energy, but did not provide a timeframe for the opening.

The store location has been under renovation since earlier this year.

Apple confirms it will open its first retail store in Taiwan

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 22, 2016

Apple has confirmed to Reuters plans to open its first-ever retail store in Taiwan, where most of its suppliers and contract fabricators are located. The Cupertino company stopped short of revealing the exact location for the store, but speculation mounts that it will presumably be found in the capital of Taipei.

Apple announces first Brooklyn store will be opening doors to customers on July 30

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 21, 2016

Job listings discovered in May 2016 suggested that Apple’s first retail store in the New York City borough of Brooklyn could open for business this year. Today, the company's Retail website officially announced that grand opening of its all-new Brooklyn store will take place on Sunday, July 30, at 10am local time.

Indian government intervenes to allow Apple Stores in the country

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 21, 2016

After repeated delays, Apple may finally get the chance to open company-run retail stores in India as the cabinet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly approved a three-year extension on local-sourcing rules that require foreign companies operating their own retail stores to manufacture at least thirty percent of goods in the country.