Morning:
6°c
The big Apple comes to Covent Garden with 'best' store
Mark Prigg, Science and Technology Editor6 Aug 2010
It is set to become London's most lucrative store when it opens tomorrow, with takings that could top £60 million a year.
The new Apple shop in Covent Garden was today described by the computer company as “our best store yet”.
Apple is believed to have spent tens of millions restoring the building, which dates from 1876, on the corner of Covent Garden's piazza.
Brick walls have been cleaned, original gas lamps restored, and a giant glass roof built over a hidden courtyard in the centre of the building, originally meant for horse-drawn deliveries.
The store, Apple's 300th around the world and at about 25,000 square feet the biggest it has ever constructed, is expected to overtake the flagship Regent Street branch as the firm's most profitable.
Last year the Regent Street shop was named as the most profitable per square foot in the capital. Takings soared to £60 million a year, or £2,000 per square foot — more than double the estimated sum made by Harrods.
“The store that has taught us most was Regent Street… and we had to expand it by 50 per cent after a year,” said Ron Johnson, senior vice-president of retail operations at Apple. “It is our highest traffic store in the world, we get more people than in our Fifth Avenue store in New York.”
The three-floor shop, in a building previously used by Rock Garden, is expected to attract huge numbers of tourists passing through Covent Garden. Each room is dedicated to an Apple product line, with the main courtyard being given over entirely to large oak tables with dozens of iPads set up for customers to try. Once they have paid, they can visit a “setup room” where Apple staff will unpack and set up their new gadget for them.
The firm even hopes to make the store a popular location for school trips in the capital, with a new “community room” that can be used for classroom visits. Apple has also decided to have only a small number of traditional tills — instead staff will roam the shopfloor with iPads that double as mobile checkouts.
The company pledged the new store would ease stock shortages of its most popular products — iPhone 4s and iPads, which have sold out in many shops across the capital. “We will have more iPads and iPhone 4s here than anywhere else in the world when we launch,” said Mr Johnson.
Apple fan Stephen Fry tweeted his excitement at the new store this morning. “Apple Store Covent Gdn opens tomorrow. What an address! No 1, The Plaza. If all goes wrong Apple will survive as real estate owners,” he told his 1.6 million followers.
Reader views (6)
That particular corner of Covent Garden was best (after the veg-men had moved out) when you could buy little things there, in rather exotic taste. I was sorry to see it turn into a restaurant, with street tables to trip over. I wonder what it will be next.
- Steve, London, England, 07/08/2010 15:01
Report abuse
Does your "technology editor" (and I mean that in the loosest sense of the term) work for Apple?
A load of saddos were queuing up to get in there today bless them, thankfully I have a life.
- Billy, London, 06/08/2010 18:38
Report abuse
The basic iPad:
$499 (£314.67) in the US.
£429 ($680.31) in the UK.
That's over a 36% mark-up here in Britain.
Don't you just love Apple - they clearly love us...
- John, London, 06/08/2010 14:19
Report abuse
Biggest, sure about that?
This article, Covent Garden store = 25,000 sqft
Nov 09 article, Regents Street store = 28,000 sqft
(http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23772203-apple-changes-regent-street-to-its-core.do)
- Paul, London, 06/08/2010 13:48
Report abuse
Oh look an advert for apple on the ES, who'd of thought it!
- bobby, berks, 06/08/2010 11:51
Report abuse
I wonder if it was designed by the same team as the the iPhone 4? It probably doesn't need a reception as long as it's shiny though.
- Bob, Cheam, 06/08/2010 11:22
Report abuse
