Apple Store in Grafton Street???

wakka666999

Hi all!

A new Apple Store is opening on Grafton Street??????

Ok is a long shot, but if go where Captain America restaurant is, there is a shop next door on the right with some work in progress...if you take a closer look to the stairs in the shop and you will understand why I'm thinking this...

It's possible???

Picture Update:

https://rapidshare.com/files/186882905/Photo%2005-10-2012%2011%2030%2001.jpg

https://rapidshare.com/files/2546304665/Photo%2005-10-2012%2011%2029%2043.jpg

You can't really see the stairs here(maybe I'll take better picture), but... see also the single/big glass panel for the shop's front...

Gumbo

wakka666999 wrote: »

Hi all!

A new Apple Store is opening on Grafton Street??????

Ok is a long shot, but if go where Captain America restaurant is, there is a shop next door on the right with some work in progress...if you take a closer look to the stairs in the shop and you will understand why I'm thinking this...

It's possible???

Pics or we dont believe ya
Im sure if there was an Apple store opening, then we would of heard something by now.

CMpunked

Here?

Looks way to small to be an apple shop. If theres apple signage up inside i would imagine that its either compu B moving or another elecy shop moving in and they'll be selling apple stuff.

But certainly if apple were opening a shop then we would know about it by now. They are the masters of hype.

IamMetaldave

Last time Apple were considering a site here they were looking at Avoca (after it closed down) and where Top Shop (I think it is) at the top of Grafton St. That's the kinda scale I would expect them to stick to if they were to open here.

eeloe

Even tho there's a lot of apple fans in Ireland, the market just isn't there at the minute, i highly doubt the republic will be getting their own store for quite some time!

super_furry

Would be almost certain it's Compu B moving up the street. That shop is tiny and far too small for an Apple Store - it was a poor videogame shop this time last year.

faceman

eeloe wrote: »

Even tho there's a lot of apple fans in Ireland, the market just isn't there at the minute, i highly doubt the republic will be getting their own store for quite some time!

If there's a market for CompuB,
there's a market for Apple.

Yakuza

super_furry wrote: »

Would be almost certain it's Compu B moving up the street. That shop is tiny and far too small for an Apple Store - it was a poor videogame shop this time last year.

It has been there longer than that, I bought an iPad there in Sep 2010. They wouldn't sell me an unlocked iPhone (they'd only sell with a 3 Contract iirc), a bricks-and-mortar store to buy contract-free phones would probably do fairly well here. At least on launch days

murpho999

eeloe wrote: »

Even tho there's a lot of apple fans in Ireland, the market just isn't there at the minute, i highly doubt the republic will be getting their own store for quite some time!

If the market is so small here then why did they open one in Belfast which is a smaller market?

Gumbo

Also, i just checked for any planning applications, as Apple would of having to apply for permission recently, either for change of use or for new signage, which they havent.

CMpunked

wakka666999 wrote: »

You can't really see the stairs here(maybe I'll take better picture), but... see also the single/big glass panel for the shop's front...

A lot of shops use that storefront these days.
Is there any other reason why you think its going to be an apple store? Like is there signage or apple looking desks inside?
If not then I would bet that its just going to be a clothes shop or something.

But the easiest way to find out is to ask one of the workmen. They'll know what its going to be.

mad muffin

I still don't understand how Belfast got one and we didn't?

Perth has two now and is the same population as Dublin give or take.

Kenno90

mad muffin wrote: »

I still don't understand how Belfast got one and we didn't?

Perth has two now and is the same population as Dublin give or take.

Perth is a tiny city , you can go from one end to the other in 20 mins.

If they can get one , so can we. It'll bad news for Compu B and HMV. Why buy an iPad/Mac there when you can get it from the source

CMpunked

Kenno90 wrote: »

Perth is a tiny city , you can go from one end to the other in 20 mins.

If they can get one , so can we. It'll bad news for Compu B and HMV. Why buy an iPad/Mac there when you can get it from the source

The best advantage in having a proper apple shop in the city would be the genius bar. It would render all those phone/laptop repair pop up shops useless.

boreder

mad muffin wrote: »

I still don't understand how Belfast got one and we didn't?

They're in the UK. Apple have stores all over the UK.

It is odd how the European HQ is in Ireland for the last 30 years, but they still haven't opened a store here.

Surprised everyone thinks we'd know ages in advance too. They like keeping things secret, as a general rule. They only stick up the exterior signage when its nearly time to open, judging by other store openings.

Tazium

Good sleuthing OP! I actually hope it is an Apple store, it's about time too.

mad muffin

I don't think we'll see an Apple Store in our life time.

Piliger

I don't think so either. They have an excuse for an Apple store within Arnotts and several other places around the city. But from what I know about the Apple management in Glanmire Cork, the way they manage the brand here is appalling.

Elessar

The only reason CompuB started expanding recently was because Apple told them they had no plans to open retail stores in the Irish market for the foreseeable future. I heard this direct from CompuB management when I went for interview a couple of years ago.

Apple expand based on country. Belfast is the UK so that was part of their UK retail plans.

boreder

Piliger wrote: »

I don't think so either. They have an excuse for an Apple store within Arnotts and several other places around the city. But from what I know about the Apple management in Glanmire Cork, the way they manage the brand here is appalling.

Whoever told you they work for Apple in Glanmire wouldn't be the most reliable source, seen as there's no presence there at all.

Ireland is a 'Tier 2' market for Apple, as can be seen with release schedules. They don't manage the 'brand' here any differently to any other Tier 2 country, as in we still get decent service coverage and things like that.

Eire Go Brach

Wooden Stairs Thats no Apple store.

wakka666999

Eire Go Brach wrote: »

Wooden Stairs Thats no Apple store.

Still work in progress...remember??? You don't want to drop your hummer on a expensive glass step...:)
Take a closer look...and u will see there is room for a possible glass steps...:)

skyflyer

Why don't Apple open a retail store in Dublin? Surely the market here is big enough to warrant it?

Gumbo

wakka666999 wrote: »

Still work in progress...remember??? You don't want to drop your hummer on a expensive glass step...:)
Take a closer look...and u will see there is room for a possible glass steps...:)

It is NOT an Apple Store.

dmcg90

I don't see why there isn't an Apple store in Ireland, even though we are Tier 2 we probably spend far more per head on Apple products! (everyone I know has Apple products).

Dundrum seems like it could be an ample section.

Gumbo

dmcg90 wrote: »

I don't see why there isn't an Apple store in Ireland, even though we are Tier 2 we probably spend far more per head on Apple products! (everyone I know has Apple products).

Dundrum seems like it could be an ample section.

It would need to be city centre imo. But i suppose dundrum is closer than belfast

CMpunked

Did anyone just ask one of the workers yet?

Gumbo

CMpunked wrote: »

Did anyone just ask one of the workers yet?

No planning application for the site in question for alterations to the layout or indeed new signage, so my take on this is that its just another retail shop getting a design update

McGrath5

I think we would of heard some rumors about a new Apple store opening in Dublin long before work actually started on unit itself.

I will be shocked if this comes true.

murpho999

Surely Apple would announce if they were to open a shop here as part of the marketing build up and not keep it a secret like a new product.

Some of the comments here are truly laughable. Tier 'B' stuff and how Cork dictates their marketing policy in Ireland.:rolleyes:

I'd say they will open a store here but will wait for the best prestigious location to do it.

Also think they roll out these shops on a country/region basis and haven't gotten to Ireland yet.

godtabh

kceire wrote: »

No planning application for the site in question for alterations to the layout or indeed new signage, so my take on this is that its just another retail shop getting a design update

And what would the Apple shop be?

Zhane

godtabh wrote: »

kceire wrote: »

No planning application for the site in question for alterations to the layout or indeed new signage, so my take on this is that its just another retail shop getting a design update

And what would the Apple shop be?

As much as I would love it to be an apple store. I doubt very much it is.

faceman

Sorry for the resurrect but didn't want to start a new thread. I'm in the US in a town about 40 minutes from Chicago. About 145,000 people live here and there's an Apple Store here! Obviously there is an Apple Store in Chicago too!

Kind of knocks the whole "there's no market for it" thing on the head!