Tim Gaden16 June 2006, 4:47 AM
Rumours are beginning to circulate that Apple is planning to open at least one of its own stores in Australia by Christmas. According to reports, Apple has already begun sourcing stock for the new retail venture.
Rumours are beginning to circulate that Apple is planning to open at least one of its own stores in Australia by Christmas.
According to reports in the Whirlpool forums, Apple has already begun sourcing stock for the new retail venture. Despite the standard non-disclosure agreements, a poster claims to have confirmation from a third party manufacturer of Apple accessories that orders have been placed.
Once rumours get started, they are hard to stop.
Is it true that Apple has bought the Gowings Building in Market Street, Sydney, to house its new store? It has all the urban chic of an Apple Retail Store and is in a great location in the heart of Sydney's shopping precinct.
Fiona Martin, Public Relations Manager for Apple Computer Australia, was unable to confirm or deny the rumours. "I simply can't make a comment either way as I have no information on it", she said.
Tim Kleeman, Director of NextByte, a prominent Australian Apple reseller chain, is not overly concerned by the rumours. "We fully expect there to be Apple Retail Stores in Australia in the short to medium term," he said, "and NextByte's business model is based on that assumption."
Asked if Apple's own stores posed a threat to resellers, he claimed that it was too early to tell. "The jury is still out on that one. On the one hand, the argument goes, it may lead to increased visibility for all things Apple; on the other, to a loss in sales. We just don't know yet, although we will know soon."
Apple's Retail Stores have reputation for glamourous fittings and style, selling the "Apple lifestyle" just as strongly as its products.