“About 30 Mac Heads were camped in front of the Apple Store in Memorial City Mall on Saturday, waiting for its 10am grand opening. Two had been there since 4am,” David Kaplan reports for The Houston Chronicle.
“A few hundred people who didn’t get there early enough to camp were in line. Among the first to arrive was devotee Katie Haverkamp, 18, who wore a T-shirt that said, ‘I visited the Mothership,’ in reference to Apple’s Silicon Valley headquarters,” Kaplan reports.
“She recalled dragging her father to Cupertino, Calif., to Apple’s corporate campus. ‘It was like heaven there,’ she said. ‘It’s like visiting Willie Wonka. It’s like a journey to Mecca for Mac Heads.’ Now the faithful have these retail shrines to turn to — more than 150 scattered across the globe — showcasing sleek and stylish products in a crisp and minimalist space,” Kaplan reports. “What she feels for Apple goes beyond customer loyalty — it’s adulation — and is something other retailers only dream of.”
Kaplan reports, “Such passion fuels strong store sales. It’s what Apple is counting on at this, its third Houston store, and a soon-to-open Sugar Land location.”
Full article here.
Apple Store Memorial City info here.
Apple Retail Store info here.
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Apple, can you PUH-LEESE build a “shrine” here in South Carolina? Thank you!
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Louisiana, Thank you (yes there are a few competent people down here).
An Apple store in downtown Charleston S.C. would be fantastic.
As much as I hate the loss of all the old southern charm on Meeting and Bay streets the other retailers have already moved in and driven the little guys out so they might as well have something decent.
Have the Dell stores opened yet? I can’t wait!
:sarcasm:
Seriously though, It’ll be interesting to see what their opening day is like.
From reading the article I found out that the Dell stores won’t carry inventory??? This is done to reduce overhead and keep costs down, but if you can’t walk out of the store with product, then wouldn’t you just buy it online and save yourself the trip to the mall?
Who thought this marketing strategy up?
Report: Dell hires devotees to stand outside their stores to build interest.
I love how the other manufactures justify their current marketing strategy, over discussing their failed retail efforts. But massive points to Haverkamp, girl has ambition.
Haverkamp plans to be more than an Apple consumer. A University of Houston entering freshman, she hopes to earn two doctorates, in economics and finance, and become finance chief of Apple or Google.
Jadis,
A fellow Cakalakian, I gather? I’m in Greenville! The closest thing we have is the CompUSA!!
Jim: Gateway thought it up. It’s what made them what they are today!!
Apple is cargo. Dell is cargo-cult.
Gateway did the same thing….
Some really cool stores are in their old locations now.
For those in Greenville, SC, there’s a new store that just opened up in Greer called iPlace and is supposed to carry “all things Macintosh”.
It was funny! I was recently transferred to Houston, and since I don’t have internet yet, I make an occasional trip to Memorial in order to use their free hotspot.
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I checked “Apple related” news, and saw that the new store was opening just a few yards away!
I got a free tee shirt
Last summer I attended the Apple Store opening at The Woodlands Mall, just north of Houston, with Katie. We drove up before the sun was up. I use Windows, much to her distress, and went to observe. She was so full of anticipation, it piqued my curiousity. The cult following of Apple is baffling to me and does not seem to diminish with time.
I saw grown men waiting in line at 5:30 a.m. for the store to open. I was astounded anybody would get up that early for a mere store opening and they’d beaten us to the first spot, too. (I think we were numbers 5 and 6.) The Apple cult is not limited to under-25’s by any stretch.
Everyone just stood around. They all had their laptops and were working individually and sometimes spoke to each other sharing information like old friends, but they weren’t. They were kindred spirited Mac users.
It’s a phenomenon!
Geez.. I sound like such a nerd in writing…
I love how the other manufactures justify their current marketing strategy, over discussing their failed retail efforts. But massive points to Haverkamp, girl has ambition
I forgot to mention the hand-modeling!! :p :p
It’s true! Upstate SC has a new Mac only retailer. iPlace Technology Solutions opened it’s doors on June 2nd and carries the full line of Apple desktops, laptops, software, iPods and accessories. Along with all the Apple branded goodies, iPlace stocks software from Adobe, Microsoft, Extensis, etc.., Xerox and Epson Printers, network gear by Asanté and Linksys, as well as a comprehensive line of iPod accessories from the likes of Monster, Belkin, Griffin and much more. Along with the showroom, iPlace packs a full bore service dept that features iCare support, AppleCare warranty repair, and on-site / in-home service. iPlace is located near I-85 and Pelham Road on South Batesville Road in Thornblade Commons at The Publix Supermarket shopping center.