New Apple store opening in Dublin

IamMetaldave

I remember reading somewhere a few years ago that Apple were looking into 2 locations in Dublin; where Avoca is on Suffolk St and where Topshop (I think) is at the top of Grafton St. Both buildings are what you'd expect Apple to set up in.

msouden

I'm from Michigan, where there are two apple stores in Southeast Michigan, arguably both Detroit suburbs (Ann Arbor and Troy). No Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter offices, and only a small tech startup community around the University of Michigan. In short, there's much more market need for an apple store here than there. To open one in Belfast and not here in Dublin just blows my mind.

I'll wager that Apple was here and looking for locations, but something happened to put them off opening a store here. Too many palms to grease is my guess. I'm sure there's a story behind it that's probably pretty commonplace to Dublin. If anyone knows that story, I'd buy them a pint to hear it. PM me.

whippet

msouden wrote: »

I'm from Michigan, where there are two apple stores in Southeast Michigan, arguably both Detroit suburbs (Ann Arbor and Troy). No Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter offices, and only a small tech startup community around the University of Michigan. In short, there's much more market need for an apple store here than there. To open one in Belfast and not here in Dublin just blows my mind.

I'll wager that Apple was here and looking for locations, but something happened to put them off opening a store here. Too many palms to grease is my guess. I'm sure there's a story behind it that's probably pretty commonplace to Dublin. If anyone knows that story, I'd buy them a pint to hear it. PM me.

I would imagine it is the madness of Dublin rents that are stopping apple from opening.

Apple would want a to open in a 'flagship' building in dublin city centre and our great culture of upwardly only rent reviews would make anyone go running in recessionary times.

Apple are catering to the market through the CompuB stores and their network of business to business resellers along with the online store.

Jofspring

amdublin wrote: »

Some of the stores are unique and award winning......but conversely I've been to a few in shopping malls which are bog standard store fronts.

Ya agree with this. Was in an official one in the states and it was just like a bog standard compu b store in a mall. They have 2 close by in Orlando alone and are listed as offical apple stores on the apple website not re sellers.

Creamy Goodness

i still think there's no place in the centre of dublin for them at all, they don't care about rents. all they want is to put in the patent glass stair case...

msouden

Is the Belfast store a "flagship" store? I've not been there. The only two in Michigan are of the mall persuasion- no glass staircases. I suspect Apple probably could pay Dublin rents if they wanted to, but that for some mysterious reason they decided that the costs of operating here were either uncertain or unfavorable. In other words, my theory (and that's all it is) is that someone in town said "Hey Apple! I'm going to make some money here" and and Apple said "no, we're not into getting railroaded, thanks anyway, we'll just put one in Belfast instead."

whiterebel

msouden wrote: »

Is the Belfast store a "flagship" store? I've not been there. The only two in Michigan are of the mall persuasion- no glass staircases. I suspect Apple probably could pay Dublin rents if they wanted to, but that for some mysterious reason they decided that the costs of operating here were either uncertain or unfavorable. In other words, my theory (and that's all it is) is that someone in town said "Hey Apple! I'm going to make some money here" and and Apple said "no, we're not into getting railroaded, thanks anyway, we'll just put one in Belfast instead."

Simpler, IMHO......Apple never had a good base for sales here previously, despite the manufacturing presence. People just didn't buy the computers, printers etc back in the day, and probably still wouldn't justify a big presence.

Bigcheeze

Apple only have stores in 12 countries! In Spain, with a population of 60 million, they only have 4 stores. There's no conspiracy guys, it's just that as a small country we're well down the list. Belfast only has one because Apple have retail stores in the UK and Belfast is a significant city within the UK. Much larger European countries such as The Netherlands have no Apple stores.

Father Damo

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

Only to have it ruined within 30 seconds of opening by the knacks.

Meh. Ive been to a few of these in Australia. Its their hiring policy that, I dunno, irks me. Its as if they have a pre set email of what an Apple store employee must look like be they in Melbourne or Manhattan. Same shaggy hair. Same body shape (tallish, skinny). The female staff arent ugly, but neither are they overly attractive. Each store seems to have one single token black employee on duty. I can just imagine the interviews would be an awful load of cock. I just find the whole thing horrendously cheesily American and corporate.

msouden

Fair enough. I'm sure expanding into a new country is no small endeavor. I just want my local genius bar/security blanket. Here's hoping Apple remembers Jobs was always proud of the new stores and expanding their presence. I'm not sure I can ever trust an authorized reseller like I did the guys at the genius bar.

murpho999

Father Damo wrote: »

Meh. Ive been to a few of these in Australia. Its their hiring policy that, I dunno, irks me. Its as if they have a pre set email of what an Apple store employee must look like be they in Melbourne or Manhattan. Same shaggy hair. Same body shape (tallish, skinny). The female staff arent ugly, but neither are they overly attractive. Each store seems to have one single token black employee on duty. I can just imagine the interviews would be an awful load of cock. I just find the whole thing horrendously cheesily American and corporate.

Hardly a surprise for an American Corporation is it?

Father Damo

murpho999 wrote: »

Hardly a surprise for an American Corporation is it?

Yes, but you wouldnt get an Irish bar abroad that insists their staff have to be gingers would you. Why do you have to look like a world of warcraft geek to work at Apple? Why the token black guy at each store? tbh Id be a bit miffed knowing I was only employed as part of a quota as such. Its just reeks of pretentiousness.

gzoladz

gzoladz wrote: »

What would you get with a real Apple store that we don't with Compub?

Fancy glass stairs

Johnmb

cisk wrote: »

Fancy glass stairs

That, and I'm sure employees in a real Apple store would know if the cases they sold fit their computers. The last time I went into Compub to buy a case for my 17" MacBook Pro, I asked would the case (which said 17" on it) fit, and was told of course it would once it said 17". I had to make him unlock a display model MBP to try it, and low and behold, it didn't fit! I only knew that there was a risk because my old case for a Dell 17" was too small for my MBP, but someone who works in a store that pushes its Apple credentials should really know whether or not their cases fit the Macs or not.

Elessar

Apple do it on a country by country basis. When focusing on the UK they chose Belfast aswell. As of two years ago they had no plans for Irish stores. They told CompuB that they would not be opening in Ireland for the forseeable future and on that basis CompuB opened their Dublin stores.

jesus_thats_gre

God, the new electronics department in Arnotts is dire.

Creamy Goodness

Father Damo wrote: »

Yes, but you wouldnt get an Irish bar abroad that insists their staff have to be gingers would you. Why do you have to look like a world of warcraft geek to work at Apple? Why the token black guy at each store? tbh Id be a bit miffed knowing I was only employed as part of a quota as such. Its just reeks of pretentiousness.

at least it's better than the token socal lookalikes that the likes of hollister employ in dundrum.

it's everywhere, if you're selling to a certain target audience you need certain staff. it's lame but there you go...

Jofspring

Father Damo wrote: »

Meh. Ive been to a few of these in Australia. Its their hiring policy that, I dunno, irks me. Its as if they have a pre set email of what an Apple store employee must look like be they in Melbourne or Manhattan. Same shaggy hair. Same body shape (tallish, skinny). The female staff arent ugly, but neither are they overly attractive. Each store seems to have one single token black employee on duty. I can just imagine the interviews would be an awful load of cock. I just find the whole thing horrendously cheesily American and corporate.

After being in an Apple store in florida a few times over the last week I have to totally disagree with this.

What I found in the store was White people, Black people, Asian people, Tall people, small people, old (in their late 50's) as well as young (early 20's), bald, long haired, bearded, clean shaved, heavy, skinny, some very knowledgeable in particular areas i.e MacBooks and some knowledgeable on iPhones and some people that where just there for smaller jobs i.e runners, people for taking genius and one to one appointments.

Fair enough what they all had in common was they where all outgoing and nice to deal with and wore the same t-shirt but thats where the similarities ended.

The whole cheering thing when they open is very cheesy and american but barr that it was just a great service all in all.

As mentioned above Hollister is a lot worse. I ran out the door of the place in Dundrum when I was met by a Dub trying to put on an American accent saying "Hey Dude, welcome to Hollister, hope your having a rad day"......embarrassing stuff.

I really wish we had an Apple store in Ireland. The one to one, genius bar and the lessons they do where excellent. The amount of old people (late 60's early 70's) taking part in the lessons on using macs etc... too was great to see and certainly not something I have seen in Ireland.

naasrd

It is astonishing that they haven't a store in one of the few countries they have a factory in, In fact it must the a first?

Bigcheeze

naasrd wrote: »

It is astonishing that they haven't a store in one of the few countries they have a factory in, In fact it must the a first?

I don't see why that's relevant. Every single iphone is made in China yet the 4S still hasn't launched there.

Sad Professor

naasrd wrote: »

It is astonishing that they haven't a store in one of the few countries they have a factory in, In fact it must the a first?

There's no Apple Store in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand or the Philippines either.

As mentioned already, Apple only have stores in 12 countries.

culabula

Father Damo wrote: »

Yes, but you wouldnt get an Irish bar abroad that insists their staff have to be gingers would you. Why do you have to look like a world of warcraft geek to work at Apple? Why the token black guy at each store? tbh Id be a bit miffed knowing I was only employed as part of a quota as such. Its just reeks of pretentiousness.

Have yet to notice a black feller in the Belfast store. Just a variety of helpful, short, small, tall, rotund, overweight, skinny, tattooed, not tattooed, bearded, bald, hirsute, affable people.