Perth Apple store – before and after
I know, shut up about the bloody Apples store Simon!
Just let me just have one more post about it. Looking at this old blog post today and the photos from the weekend really made me remember what a horrible old building the now Apple store was.
This (on the left) was right in the heart of Perth, a run down old shitty looking shop – with a health food store, bakery and Joynt Venture (bong shop/music store) upstairs. So love or hate Apple, just be grateful that renovations like this can happen in less than 6 months and make our growing city look better and actually feel alive.
Apple opened a store in Perth, they gave me the clap.
So the big day came, the opening of the Perth Apple store happened. I’ll go through the common questions I’m most likely going to be asked by people.
Was it everything I expected?
Let’s start with the first question, and let me simply say – yes it was everything that I expected. It was a retail shop opening but it was more how the store opened. I worked in retail from the age of 14 till I was 22, so that is 8 years of solid retail work. In two of the four companies I worked for I was involved in 3 shop openings, but no huge events like Apple opening their first in Perth and with none of the theatrics. I expected hype and I got hype, along with friendly service and a great example of beautiful industrial design.
Was it fun?
If you think arriving in the city at 7am, standing in line for 2 hours in -0.4C tempretures and hanging with your best friend in the whole world before meeting up with other new/old friends to witness a fantastic example of retail launch fun, then this was well and above it.
(Note: I’ve lined up in car parks for 14+ hours to see small intimate gigs by Billy Corgan from the Smashing Pumpkins so this was a walk in the park.)
Did they give you ‘the clap’?
Yes! One of the most odd feelings you will ever experience is walking into a store and being met by 30+ staff clapping you in, shaking your hand and giving you high fives *Eiffel tower!*
Will you experience this type of retail event again?
Never say never I guess, but unless it is another Apple store opening I doubt I’ll experience something like this. I can’t see another company, especially another tech company take this leap and this approach into the retail market. That being said, yes Microsoft have their retail stores in America but I think it will be along time until they come to Australia, let alone Perth … and search on YouTube and you’ll see the ‘boot-scooting’ Microsoft do to welcome their customers.
Why?
Because I wanted to do it. I don’t need to justify it to anybody, if somebody called me a “sheep Apple fan boy” then their instant dislike for a company simply because they are ‘that’ company is worse than my apparent fan-boyism. True? I use this one companies products because they all work together, no screwing around with BETA version 2.3a etc for my phone. It works, it works with my computers, it works with my media centre. It is my choice. People that know me well would know that if Nintendo were opening a store, I’d be there too. (Am I blind Nintendo fan boy too? )
Where was I? Oh yeah, all in all, the experience was fantastic. Once in the store we walked around for a little bit, chatted with some staff about the whole set up experience, saw some of the iPod touches that are basically mobile checkouts, looked at some future possible purchases and enjoyed the experience. The exciting thing is now knowing that if I have a problem with any of our Apple products that we can make an appointment with their Genius staff, head right into the store and get it fixed. Something that most other tech / hardware / software companies simply can’t offer in the retail world.
So after months of blogging about this, I’m glad we finally have a store. I’m glad my parents can head in for one on one training classes, I’m happy I can get things fixed without having to send them away, I’m excited there is free open wifi (yay!) and I’m glad Perth has the flagship store in the CBD.
Seriously, go visit and view my photos up on flickr too!
PS: Walking back to the car, poor Sony store around the corner, 10.30am on a Saturday and not a person in store.
Apple store hits Perth and maybe the iPhone 4 too
Many months ago I updated with the location of the Perth Apple store, now many months later it is here. Well not yet, according to this Apple press release doors open on the Perth retail store this Saturday.
Looking at the Apple retail page for the Perth store there is a banner area saying “Featured In-Store” and a picture of the new iPhone 4. Considering the fact the iPhone isn’t set to be released here for another month or so this display model could be the biggest attraction for the new store, besides all the other shiney stuff.
I guess we’ll have to wait until Saturday, look forward to meeting a few other people there and all fighting over the iPhone 4 … if it is there. Because let’s be honest, when does Perth ever get lucky. This is most likely just a web admin that duplicated a site template and forgot to remove the iPhone 4 banner. Right?
Dear Shihad your Google is broken or is it?
Do a quick search for ‘Shihad band‘ in Google and the first result is a little surprising.
The band Shihad’s website appears first but it seems those quirky New Zealand rockers have changed their domain listing information in Google to something very rock n roll.
So I guess the message is have fun with your Google results, because do you really want fans of your band that find you via Google?
