Apple’s plan to open its own line of retail stores is either the worst kept secret in the company’s history or the most rampant rumor ever to spread on the Internet (and that’s saying a lot).
You can expect to see an Apple retail store at the Mall of America, according to a Pioneer Press article. Mall of America spokeswoman Lou Ann Bravinder declined to disclose details about Apple’s opening, referring questions to the California-based maker of Macintosh personal computers, the article added.
Last week, the Chicago Tribune reported Apple had signed a lease to occupy and remodel the former Gap flagship store in the Windy City. Apple has apparently signed a “long-term lease” for the property, located at 679 N. Michigan Avenue and will open a store in spring 2002. The buildings owner, Nicholas Karris, said that Apple planned on an extensive renovation of the 33,000-square-foot space as part of their plan to open stores across the country.
“The leasing agreement includes a provision requiring an upscale new presentation consistent with the character of the Magnificent Mile retail environment,” Karris told the Chicago Tribune.
Other rumored sites for Apple retail stores include Atlanta, GA; Dallas, TX; Miami, FL; Washington D.C.; San Francisco, CA, Scottsdale, AZ, and Cheektowaga, a suburb of Buffalo, NY. Apple was mum on the Pioneer Planet story.