Apple preps new retail store in Adelaide, Australia

Apple continues to expand its physical retail operations around the world, and the tech giant looks to be close to opening an Apple Store in South Adelaide, Australia.

In November of 2012, job listings leaked for a new South Australia-based store, and in February of this year, Adelaide Now reported that Apple had been confirmed as one of the occupants of a $385 million Pacific Group development project in the Rundle Mall.

Adelaide's first Apple Store, according to documents filed with Adelaide City Council, will cost about $2.5 million to complete. Apple gave no details on when the store would open, and in mid-March, the company denied a fake press release that pegged the Adelaide store for a late-March grand opening.

Job listings from Apple show that the company is still hiring for positions in the forthcoming store. Apple is looking for store leaders, business leaders, inventory specialists, and a number of other positions to staff the new space.

The South Australia location will be Apple's first in the territory, joining the 18 other Apple Store locations spread across Australia. Apple has been rapidly expanding its retail operations down under, adding eight stores in the past two years, including the Adelaide location. Another location, in Queensland's historic MacArthur Chambers building, is currently stalled, waiting for Apple to finish construction. It is unclear whether Apple will actually occupy the space upon its completion, though.

Apple's retail locations have gone from "iPod stores" to something approaching a cultural center as the company's products have become more popular. CEO Tim Cook noted in Apple's last quarterly conference call that the fourth quarter of 2012 saw 120 million Apple Store visitors. The average store did more than $50 million in revenue in 2012.