You'll soon be able to pick up a new iPhone, iPad or iMac in London's tourist-choked Covent Garden. A new Apple Store opens next weekend on the former site of the downmarket Rock Garden. It will reportedly be the biggest in Europe, set over three floors and housing Apple's European corporate office.
The store will open its doors at 10am Saturday 7 August. Rumours abound that Apple's grand vizier Steve Jobs may be there in person to christen the good shop Covent Garden.
Like many tourists, El Jobs could visit the area's many attractions: he could snap up new jeans on the strip of fashion-chain flagships on Long Acre or shop for a new turtleneck in the area's assorted vintage stores.
While he's there he can stop by such attractions as the London Transport Museum, roleplaying game shop Orcs Nest, and Pineapple Dance Studios. Maybe Jony Ive will take him for a pint at Belushi's afterwards.
The Covent Garden store joins Kingston, Brent Cross, White City and the current flagship store on Regent Street. Hopefully it will be the scene of many more all-night descents into the heart of darkness in queues for Apple's latest products. Only now with more mimes covered in spraypaint.
Keep up to date with all the Apple Store news you'll ever need at ifoapplestore.com, a blog dedicated to the white'n'wood gadget emporiums. Where's next for Apple? Here's some of our ideas.
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Comments 7
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Maroon 30 July, 2010 15:18
Ummm... Sorry to burst your bubble, but the 7th is next weekend...
Anonymous 30 July, 2010 15:31
To be honest... as someone who lives outside London... why is this relevant news to me? If something happens in London, that can happen anywhere else in the UK, why is it so amazing?!
Hmmm... No wonder Americans think that London is the be all and end all of the UK, we rave on about it like it is!
There is life outside London!
Rich Trenholm 30 July, 2010 15:52
Maroon - read the article again next week and it'll have fixed itself.
Anonymous - Bloomin' Northerners. Always complaining.
We see your point, Anonymous, but this is news because it's set to be the biggest Apple Store in Europe. If they'd opened Europe's largest Apple Store in Little Flatcapchester or wherever then we'd cover that too.
We'll do some whippet news next week to redress the balance.*
*I'm kidding - I'm a Northerner.
Anonymous 30 July, 2010 16:19
The Regent Street store is I believe still the biggest in the world, so if Covent Garden is bigger it will taker over as not merely the biggest in Europe but the biggest in the World. Of course this partially depends on your definition. If you exclude the European HQ office space above it, will it still count as bigger than Regent Street?
See http://gizmodo.com/387178/new-boston-apple-store-largest-in-the-united-states-updated-again which confirms Regent Street is still the biggest (this week at least) - it was remodelled and expanded a while ago.
Notes: Sydney, Australia has a longer genius bar than Regent Street but less square footage. 5th Avenue, New York, has higher profits than Regent Street (which is the second most profitable) but 5th Ave is actually physically smaller. I have like nearly everyone yet to see the finished interior of Covent Garden, but I would rate the Paris Opéra store the most beautiful.
Green 30 July, 2010 17:26
Tell me a delirious and sleep-deprived Luke is going to attend the opening (even if it takes place during the day, get him to write something big overnight and then send him to the opening in the morning)
weetanhops 30 July, 2010 17:31
Thank you for the in-depth analysis Anon#2.
I agree that this wouldn't be very newsworthy on it's own, but if it's set to be the largest in Europe then that's good enough. I've been to see the Regent Street store twice when I've stayed in London, and it's absolutely huge.
I think the claim of "biggest" is subjective depending on how you want to describe size. It could be the biggest in terms of being the tallest, the longest, the widest, etc.
Anonymous 1 August, 2010 18:57
They closed the Rock Garden to open an Apple Store. Disgrace.