First Canadian Apple Store confirmed for Yorkdale Shopping Center
Kasper JadeExclusive - Canadian Apple fans seeking a hands-on shopping experience will have to look no further than the Yorkdale Shopping Center come mid-2005.
Previous reports had noted a finalized agreement between Apple and the mall's leasing agency, though it was unclear if the store would be the first open; sources have also reported that Apple plans to launch a store in the newly constructed Vaughan Mills Mall.
The 1.6-million-square-foot Yorkdale Shopping Center is home to other flagship outlets such as the Sony Store, and ranks as the third largest shopping centre in Canada. Apple and JRoss Retail Recruiters, Canada’s leading retail recruiting specialist, are now working side-by-side to carefully select a team of Mac enthusiasts to staff the store.
In a message posted to potential applicants, Apple asked, "Would you rather be in the front row of a MacWorld keynote speech than have free cable TV for a year? Do customer compliments make you beam like a proud parent? Does new technology make your jaw drop? Are you okay with helping to change the world?"
"Yeah – us, too," the company answered. "We’re Apple Retail, and we’re changing the way people shop for technology. And, we’re changing where they do it."
Earlier this month, an e-mail sent to employees and members of the Canadian Apple reseller channel announced that an Apple branded retail store location would open in Toronto in 2005, but provided no further details.
If recently uncovered internal documents are of any guidance, Canadians can expect up to four Apple retail stores to turn up in shopping malls over the next 24 months.
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Mike Wuerthele and Malcolm Owen
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