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Hunting High & Low

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Since I first heard about Apple opening a store in Braehead I have periodically popped in to the shopping centre to play spot the store.

Early on I thought it may have been beside Marks & Spencer, but that wasn’t an ideal location and didn’t provide the store front that Apple have used for their other UK shopping centre based stores. As it turned out, it wasn’t the location, as it’s now an H&M.

Then I thought it would be in the centre section, which although the space looked small, appeared to fit as an ideal location with loads of natural light, loads of space outside the store for the massive opening queues and being close to the food hall, staff and customers could get a Costa coffee, a snack or lunch. Again these locations have now been filled.

On my last trip I started getting disheartened by the store fronts that were vacant, not what I would consider prime Apple Store locations. Although the stores that have been there for a while have moved about a bit recently, so maybe in a few store shuffles time, the ideal store may just appear.

My mind is now wandering to the possibility that the store could be built in the X-Scape part of Braehead, although if they did that, they would get the younger audience and people who go there to get a meal, watch a film or go on the SnoZone slope. I can’t see Apple placing there store there, unless they are trying to make a statement & shun the UK shopping centre fronts that they have used recently.

I have heard people suggesting that the store is going to be located in the old PC World unit, just outside the Shopping Centre, but it would then be a stand alone unit, squashed between Halfords and Dixons, not really a prime location and not one that I would have picked.

I’d love Apple to build a store from
scratch at Braehead, or renovate one of the old buildings that are dotted around outside of the centre, putting the Apple brand on the area, but I don’t think that that’s the intention, at least not at the present time.

So, with no nice Apple banners appearing in the area to shroud a fledgling store of the future and bringing excitement to the area and no visible hints yet, I guess I’ll have to continue visiting Braehead to play my game of cat & mouse.

Either I’ll spot something or I’ll be standing in the queue awaiting the store opening, whenever that may be.

Update:

After an accidental stumbling on the SkyScraperCity site It appears that there are indications that the Apple Store will take the spot vacated by GAP [although the posting is from 2010]. Cross referencing this information with another site it appears that the store will be at 8 Braehead Shopping Centre ?. That puts the store next to ‘The Officers club’ at 10, Wallis Fashion Group at 7 & Bay Trading at 6.
If my memory serves me correctly, this is where Braehead currently have a renovation barrier which said something like ‘ making way for a new exciting store’.. So the clues appear to be pointing in the same direction? Only time will tell..

Update 04/09/2011:

I have recently been informed that a store front that has been getting some work done on it is now displaying the Apple logo.

After a quick look online brought up a link to ifoApleStore.com, which has a picture ( see the [Barricade] link) of what I have recently suspected to be the site of the new Braehead Apple Store . The original plain black hoarding has now got the Apple logo and Apple’s UK URL added, indicating that the launch should be soon. On the http://www.ifoapplestore.com home page is a suggestion [see ‘Grand Opening Schedule’ at the top right] that the store could launch on Saturday the 10th September. There is no official posting of this date on the Apple UK website at this time.

[Update 09/09/2011]

Earlier in the week I posted (On my Twitter Acount, via Color ) a few quick photos of the hoarding that is currently up around the location of the new store, Whilst there I did a quick check for any telltale Wi-Fi signals that would indicate that the store was ready for launch, nothing apparent showed.

Still no sign of an official Apple opening date. ifoapplestore.com are now showing a possible opening of the 17th.

Personally I have heard from different sources that Apple are currently recruiting for weekend or possibly part time staff (sounds like 1st interviews), whether this is for the Braehead or Glasgow store I’m not sure at this point & it could be that these are XMas positions? If they are for the new store then I would then put the opening date as sometime during September weekend (local Public Holiday weekend Friday 23rd – Monday 26th) Which has always been my preferred date (those who know me know why) If so it should be a good weekend.

Update 14/09/2011

Apple have finally announced the Grand opening of the Apple Store Braehead on Saturday the 17th September. A new Apple Store page has now gone live on Apple’s UK retail Stores area http://www.apple.com/uk/retail/braehead/ (see my blog page ‘Apple Store Braehead opening confirmed’)



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