Bluewater Apple Store reopening March 24 after 9-month refurbishment period

Apple will be reopening its Bluewater retail outlet in Greenhithe in the United Kingdom later this month after being closed for nine months for refurbishment, with signs at the front of the store advising it will resume business on March 24.

Published on Twitter by Joe White, the temporary notices at the front of the store advise of the impending relaunch, teasing future customers by advising Apple is "making the Apple Store you love even lovelier." The notices refer customers to the retail section of Apple's website to buy products, or to find the nearest store.

The current store listing for Apple Bluewater notes it is currently closed, but indicates the nearest physical outlet to that location is Apple Bromley, approximately 14 miles away.

The Bluewater store was the third opened by Apple in the United Kingdom, launched in 2005 following after Regent Street and Birmingham, and is the first UK Apple Store to open in a mall. Apple closed the store on July 30 last year for renovations, part of the firm's ongoing program to refurbish its outlets with updated fixtures and fittings.

While it is unknown exactly how the new store will look, the recent reopening of the Crabtree Valley Mall store in Raleigh, N.C. in December shows what to expect from Apple's next-generation "town square" design language. A floor-to-ceiling video display, cube-shaped seats for events, and custom fixtures and fittings to better highlight the products on offer could be included in the new retail space.

Other UK-based examples of Apple's redesign in malls include the Meadowhall and Brent Cross stores, which were updated to be brighter and more open spaces, complete with the video wall at the far end of the store.