New Apple Shop?

marmalady

I seen massive apple stickers on a shop front just by the James Joyce bridge. Looks like an apple store is opening, i seen inside breifly and there was a massive apple on the wall.. Can anyone confirm we are getting an Apple Shop?

dolliemix

haven't heard that. I would be so excited if that was the case though

eth0_

Do you mean in CHQ? Seems a bit out of the way for an Apple store? They tend to open in main shopping thoroughfares like Grafton Street, or in posh shopping centres like Westfield in London and Victoria Square in Belfast. And i've only seen one Apple store that was single storey. CHQ doesn't really fit the bill.

ironclaw

I wouldn't. It'll be as usual €200 more expensive than Apple UK. Plus Belfast is an amazing shop.

EDIT: That is a tad out of the way for Apple who could easily afford center stage Grafton St. etc

john__long

Was in Belfast at weekend.

Class store. Picked up a Mophie Juice Pack Air for £69 (€76). Apple Online Store has em at €79 excluding shipping.

If one were to open in Dublin I'm quite sure that it'd be in the RSS feeds.

blackbetty69

they should open one in sligo for the craic

john__long

blackbetty69 wrote: »

they should open one in sligo for the craic

No market for quality stuff in Sligo. All Sligo's suited for is PC World crap.

PS. I hate Sligo. I go to college there. Live 10 mins from Sligo town!

marmalady

It's just a few mins from Merchants Quay as you're heading towards the Phoenix Park or Guinness.

I'm excited i hope its an apple store! Certainly looks like it could be one!

asdasd

Its funny that Apple retain didn't come to Ireland during the boom. There are two Apple stores in Bristol, a city with low enough wages.

I reckon conversations between the VP of Apple Stores and Jobs went like this:

VP: We should open up in Ireland. Growing population. Computer savvy. Per-Capita income really high. Low Taxes. We have a manufacturing plant there.
Jobs: In Cork. Where should we open the first store.
VP: Dublin. Its a world city! Look -
points to economist magazine
Jobs: Great. Where in Dublin?
VP: Grafton street. Huge footfall!.
Jobs: Great. How much is rent?
VP: This much!
Jobs: NOT A HOPE. NEVER. OUR MARGINS ARE A MERE 30%!

Unlike Brown Thomas, which can charge a premium for the common enough designerwear you can get in the US for 40% of the cost, or online in Ireland for 50% of the cost, or other retail stores in Ireland for 70% of the cost - Apple has a standard pricing policy, and Grafton street rents would have wiped out even their margins.

I'd bet Drumcondra's rent was nonsensical too.

eth0_

I'll eat my hat if they open on Merchant's quay! It's a sh1tty area and even further away from the main shopping areas than CHQ!

As for Grafton Street...you'd be surprised how much commercial rents have fallen.

Do you think their London stores are cheap to rent or something?

marmalady

Well all i'm saying is theres a unit along the quays with massive apple sticker in the window and a massive apple inside on the wall.. Looks exactly like apple stores i've seen around europe.. Unless it's just a dealer using apple logo to get hype going.

asdasd

I remember that Grafton street was the 5th highest rent in the world.
I am talking about during the boom, and the fact that we thought that normal is the problem.

Do you think their London stores are cheap to rent or something?

Dublin is not London. It is Manhester at best.

I'll eat my hat if they open on Merchant's quay! It's a sh1tty area and even further away from the main shopping areas than CHQ!

As far as I know Apple stores are rarely anchor stores in any mall, nor do they care where they are as long as it is reasonable walking distance of the main drags. Does Apple rely on pasing trade? I doubt it. Unless people are buying a mouse. And then they would have to be Mac fans.

they rely on people who want to check out the store itself, and buy an Apple computer. Most people who go in there have a plan to buy something.

projectmayhem

Boston has two Apple stores (that I found), neither of which are in the main part of the city. Apple considers their stores as destinations - where you will go out of your way to visit, not necessarily something you'll pop in on your way past.

CHQ seems a bit out of the way, but the rent would be cheaper then Grafton St., and the clientele of CHQ would be more in line with what Apple see themselves as.

Having said that, being the first Apple store in Ireland it would have to be a flagship, and I can't imagine a flagship store in CHQ, unless the owners of that building are giving Apple an unbelievable deal on rent.

Mongey

It's actually on Ushers Quay, could be another compuB ?

BanzaiBk

projectmayhem wrote: »

Boston has two Apple stores (that I found), neither of which are in the main part of the city.

???

There's a huge one on Boylston. Can't get more central than that.

Maybe another CompuB? Cork got one recently, when it was being constructed it looked exactly like an official outlet. They key is the sign outside, it says Premium Reseller under the Apple. Does this one have exterior signage yet?

eth0_

BanzaiBk wrote: »

Maybe another CompuB? Cork got one recently, when it was being constructed it looked exactly like an official outlet. They key is the sign outside, it says Premium Reseller under the Apple. Does this one have exterior signage yet?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bcie/4146939168/


There's the Cork CompuB store...no huge, lit up Apple logo above the door as you see on all the real Apple Stores.

BanzaiBk

BanzaiBk wrote: »

Maybe another CompuB? Cork got one recently, when it was being constructed it looked exactly like an official outlet.

.....

Kbeg3

I was in the Apple Store in London a few weeks ago. Cool shop. I hope Dublin gets one

ironclaw

I really hope this isn't an Apple Shop. I'm completely against Apple Ireland. For instance, the M-Audio Torq Xponent (DJ Kit):

Apple US:€406 + Shipping

Thomann.de (Germany Audio Specialists): €400 (Shipping included)

Apple Irl: €679 + Shipping

I'm a huge fan of Apple but I would never buy a thing from Apple in Ireland.

whiterebel

eth0_ wrote: »

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bcie/4146939168/


There's the Cork CompuB store...no huge, lit up Apple logo above the door as you see on all the real Apple Stores.

Apart from that, looks very like Apple Stores I've been in.

navin.r.johnson

ironclaw wrote: »

I really hope this isn't an Apple Shop. I'm completely against Apple Ireland. For instance, the M-Audio Torq Xponent (DJ Kit):

Apple US:€406 + Shipping

Thomann.de (Germany Audio Specialists): €400 (Shipping included)

Apple Irl: €679 + Shipping

I'm a huge fan of Apple but I would never buy a thing from Apple in Ireland.

I wouldn't buy audio/video equipment from Apple. Thomann are well regarded for their low prices on everything from guitar strings upward. Apple advertise audio equipment, digital cameras, video cameras etc merely to present their product as the complete package.

navin.r.johnson

I live in the area and went down for a closer look yesterday afternoon. It appears to be an office with reception area. Either for repairs or business clients would be my guess but a bit too small for a viable retail space.

ironclaw

navin.r.johnson wrote: »

I wouldn't buy audio/video equipment from Apple. Thomann are well regarded for their low prices on everything from guitar strings upward. Apple advertise audio equipment, digital cameras, video cameras etc merely to present their product as the complete package.

I don't either. I must have spend 5K with Thomann in the past few years. It was merely an example of how we Irish people get ripped off. And someone must be paying because there prices haven't dropped a cent. Are people stupid or just prepared to pay?

projectmayhem

BanzaiBk wrote: »

???

There's a huge one on Boylston. Can't get more central than that.

If you take the city center to be Quincy market and the surrounding area (i.e. Dunkin Donut/Starbucks city) with the financial district around the corner, Boylston St. is a fair walk. It's beside a big fancy shopping center which is why it's location is prime, but it's by no means the city center in fairness.

BanzaiBk

Fair enough. I doubt many locals would equate the tourist centre as a true centre but whatever, it's just me arguing pedantry otherwise.

ironclaw

I'm still pretty content with Spectra. My sister told me about this store and tried to convience me that it was an Retail store until I told her unless it's the HQ of dunnes or something it's not it as I can remember a few months ago Apple hired real estate agents to find locations and they saw a HQ center somewhere that could be an apple store with 12,000 Feet over 2 stores.

ironclaw wrote: »

I really hope this isn't an Apple Shop. I'm completely against Apple Ireland. For instance, the M-Audio Torq Xponent (DJ Kit):

Apple US:€406 + Shipping

Thomann.de (Germany Audio Specialists): €400 (Shipping included)

Apple Irl: €679 + Shipping

I'm a huge fan of Apple but I would never buy a thing from Apple in Ireland.

Also why does it have to be buying. What about the genius bar and tutorials. Mactivate repair always tries to make you pay for repairs and have no sympathy for you so bringing your Mac into a apple store seems nicer

oneofakind32

asdasd wrote: »

Its funny that Apple retain didn't come to Ireland during the boom. There are two Apple stores in Bristol, a city with low enough wages.

I reckon conversations between the VP of Apple Stores and Jobs went like this:

VP: We should open up in Ireland. Growing population. Computer savvy. Per-Capita income really high. Low Taxes. We have a manufacturing plant there.
Jobs: In Cork. Where should we open the first store.
VP: Dublin. Its a world city! Look -
points to economist magazine
Jobs: Great. Where in Dublin?
VP: Grafton street. Huge footfall!.
Jobs: Great. How much is rent?
VP: This much!
Jobs: NOT A HOPE. NEVER. OUR MARGINS ARE A MERE 30%!

Unlike Brown Thomas, which can charge a premium for the common enough designerwear you can get in the US for 40% of the cost, or online in Ireland for 50% of the cost, or other retail stores in Ireland for 70% of the cost - Apple has a standard pricing policy, and Grafton street rents would have wiped out even their margins.

I'd bet Drumcondra's rent was nonsensical too.

I case you havnt noticed, rents have gone through the floor in dublin in the past 18 months! Maybe this isnt the case on graftons street but I would be surprised!

asdasd

As I said, during the boom.

cotwold

oneofakind32 wrote: »

I case you havnt noticed, rents have gone through the floor in dublin in the past 18 months! Maybe this isnt the case on graftons street but I would be surprised!

Commercial rates actually saw an increase in a lot of retail. Only residential rates have 'gone through the floor'. (even saying that is a bit of an exaggeration as well imo considering the average fall is only 20%)

MacMan2

I have heard that there is a new Apple Store opening in Grafton Street in March, a five story building with Retail, Support and Training (all Apple)

banquo

One please.