New Apple Shop?

ratsam

projectmayhem wrote: »

Are you serious? Sure a few scangers hang around outside Dr.Quirkeys but I've hardly ever felt unsafe on the street.

Having said that, O'Connell st. isn't going to be where an Apple store is. It'll be on a street that shares "fancy" stores in keeping with what Apple normally do elsewhere. Grafton St. really is the only option in this city for them, at least for the moment. They could move down to the docklands area but there are no other retail spots that drag in lots of customers (CHQ is dead at the best of times).

Though they could be wildly impressed by O'Connell st and some plans to move the tacky shops and things into a new shopping center on the street.... if such plans still exist.

The new shopping centre on O'Connell Street will have many big brand retailers (that we are used to seeing these days) but also a couple that we don't yet have in Ireland. In saying that it'll be easily 3-4 years before any resemblance of a shopping centre is finished on that site so I reckon an alternative location will happen before this one. The couple of Apple Stores I have been in have been very central (Birmingham and Manchester (Arndale)) so I'd be surprised if they opened their first Irish one outside of the city centre..! My bet is on either Grafton Street or somewhere south of the river as this one in O'Connell street will happen later...!

Rats

jahalpin

ironclaw wrote: »

My mistake but your still looking at circa €1000. Why the same product can't be the same price in every country is beyond me. (And I know staff, rent costs are different but doesn't justify €150 differences)

The warranty on electronic items in the EU is a lot longer than in the US, this leads to increased long-term costs which must be factored into the price

Simon201

a little birdie has rumoured an Apple store opening in the old Dunnes Store site in Grafton Street next month.....

although 'next month' seems too near considering what work would have to be put in etc. As reported...only a rumour

Simon201

Simon201 wrote: »

a little birdie has rumoured an Apple store opening in the old Dunnes Store site in Grafton Street next month.....

although 'next month' seems too near considering what work would have to be put in etc. As reported...only a rumour

Not to dissapoint you but you and the rest of the world. A few months back a blog post was posted on several sites saying that apples uk store people would be opening over here. The dunnes stores in grafton street that is 12,000 foot over 2 stories.

worded

Did apple ever open a store in Dublin since?

dolliemix

no

EyeCake

but compuB opened a smaller copy Apple store at the bottom of Grafton street opposite Trinity
Its the best we have for noe

ironclaw

EyeCake wrote: »

but compuB opened a smaller copy Apple store at the bottom of Grafton street opposite Trinity
Its the best we have for noe

Typical Irish rip-off tackyness however. The real deal or nothing for me.

kevteljeur

ironclaw wrote: »

Typical Irish rip-off tackyness however. The real deal or nothing for me.

I agree. I liked it the way it used to be when there were no main street Apple specialists, and buying even the most smallest Apple-branded item involved a trip out to an industrial estate somewhere while paying twice the price, or dealing with the Compustore "What's a Mac Apple?" 'Apple specialists' and waiting 2 months for your order to arrive. It's really gone downhill since then.


On a less sarcastic note, this is a tiny market for anyone to deal with, and CompuB's store probably has Apple's explicit blessing (they need to, since they're flying the flag outside). It's probably the biggest a city centre Apple dealer can be, to be viable, and as discussed elsewhere you're not about to see Apple doing it here. The stop-start nature of any Dublin Apple retail presence is likely down to these factors too; I don't have any hard facts or figures, I freely admit to that, but I've also noticed that over the last 10 years, no-one has consistently managed to maintain a dedicated Apple retail outlet without either going bust or giving up the Apple section, and if anyone can dispute this with hard numbers, I'd love to hear it.

More here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055991401


k

Sad Professor

ironclaw wrote: »

Typical Irish rip-off tackyness however. The real deal or nothing for me.

A bit harsh. It may not be an official Applestore, but as projectmayhem detailed on this board a while ago, the layout and fixtures were all designed by Apple. And the staff are Apple trained as well.

I've been critical of CompuB in the past, but the only problem I have with their Grafton Street branch is the size of the building - it's tiny. Aside from that, I'm very pleased that it's there.

Greentree_uk

ironclaw wrote: »

Typical Irish rip-off tackyness however. The real deal or nothing for me.

I have to disagree too. I work in the trade and I can tell you that Only Apple can do Apple stores. it takes a heck of alot of money to open an apple premium reseller and for quite frankly little return. CompuB should be admired for doing what others haven't. I think they're doing it wrong by not having experienced staff, but time will tell. Apple's a growing market at the moment and they need exposure to people who are afraid to buy them. APR's and Apple stores, are apple's biggest PR exercise and a big expense. As for Apple stores, anyone who's been to an Apple store knows their knowledge is skin deep, whereas traditional mac resellers, yes those on the estates have deep pockets of knowledge. not in all areas but most, and yes knowledge costs money.

CivilServant

That may of been the case in the past but that was when Macbooks were 2k and there were no such things as iphones and ipads. If Apple do open up a dedicated store in Dublin I can see it being a success. The only reason compub are doing well is because they are stocking Apple, not in spite of it.

dubmick

Another CompuB store is due to open in the Pavilions (Swords) before Christmas

uvox

You mean there isn't a real Apple Store opening in Dublin? How could this be? I mean Adrian Weckler of the Sunday Business Post said it would happen this year. How could he be wrong if this doesn't happen in the next five weeks?

17 January 2010 By Adrian Weckler

This time next year, there will be an Apple Store in Dublin.

http://www.thepost.ie/technology/reality-bytes-46733.html

CompuB would have had me fork over 2,000 Euros for a new machine that Apple in California fixed for free even out of warranty. Draw your own conclusions.

Corkman1970

Called into Compubstore in Opera Lane today to buy two Ipads,

Three sales assistants on duty , two at the counter one K****N on the salesfloor.

K***/N you are oblivious as a salesman , Hope you dont depend on commision.

Bypassed K***N as he was more interested in pigeons flying outside the store.

At the counter my response to asking for two 16gb WiFi models was they dont make them anymore and then blankness,

No attempt to upsell or convert me over to another model,

Unimpressive amateurs, with service that bad , wont even entertain the idea of quality of after sales.

Very unimpressed with this store,

Came home and spent €958 on line,

Dont even bother with CompuB in Cork,

Amateurs.

Bonavox

Corkman1970 wrote: »

Called into Compubstore in Opera Lane today to buy two Ipads,

Three sales assistants on duty , two at the counter one K****N on the salesfloor.

K***/N you are oblivious as a salesman , Hope you dont depend on commision.

Bypassed K***N as he was more interested in pigeons flying outside the store.

At the counter my response to asking for two 16gb WiFi models was they dont make them anymore and then blankness,

No attempt to upsell or convert me over to another model,

Unimpressive amateurs, with service that bad , wont even entertain the idea of quality of after sales.

Very unimpressed with this store,

Came home and spent €958 on line,

Dont even bother with CompuB in Cork,

Amateurs.

I'd image this is because there's a worldwide shortage on the newer model. Can't sell something they don't have.

ironclaw

Bonavox wrote: »

I'd image this is because there's a worldwide shortage on the newer model. Can't sell something they don't have.

They are pretty woeful and nearly everyone I've talked to have had the same opinion.

Compu B ? Yeah they're a pack of jokers. Have had issues and mentioned them on the forums in the past about Compu B. They just can't do anything right it appears.

They put real sales assistants in Apple stores (think New York) to absolute shame.

holystungun9

Does anyone else here get a bit excited when they see that there has been a new post but then open it and it is not confirmation of a proper apple store? I do.