Hundreds queue as Perth Apple store opens
Ben Crabtree / WA News © Hundreds queue at new Perth Apple store
More than 500 people braved the coldest night of the year to be among the first to walk through the doors of the new Perth Apple Store this morning.
As the temperature plunged to a freezing -0.6C in the city about 7.30am, Apple enthusiasts sat excitedly outside the Hay Street store waiting to check out new offerings, including the iPad, and the sleek interior of the store.
By noon, more than 800 had visited the store.
Yagan Kiely, 21, was the first to queue at 8 o'clock last night and said despite the cold it was definitely worth the wait.
"It was just one of those things you have to be at," he said.
His mother, Marian Kiely, joined the queue at 5.10am but said she would not be buying anything today. "I have it all," she said.
About 80 Apple staff cheered and chanted with the crowd for about 10 minutes leading up to the official opening, hyping up the crowd before they flooded the store.
The first people through the door received high-fives and backslaps from staff.
The queue of waiting customers stretched along Hay Street and into King Street and, at 10am, customers were still waiting to get a glimpse of Apple gadgets on offer.
The long queue in Hay Street.
The Apple Store lets users browse the web, read and send email, view and share photos, watch videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and more.
Customers experienced Apple's entire product line hands-on including the updated Mac mini, MacBook and MacBook Pro with the new NVIDIA processor and the popular iPod touch and iPhone 3GS with access to more than 225,000 apps offered on the App Store.
Inside the new Apple store before the doors open. Pictures: Ben Crabtree
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16 Comments
I see the light!
ReplyAfter waiting all night they got high fives and back slaps? Can anyone tell me if the apple store will be cheaper than everywhere else for their own products????
ReplyMs Thompson, I detect an element of cynicism in your psuedo-rhetorical question - quite understandable. That's business. For me it is simply good to know that there is now a centrally located store for Perth's metropolis. Today it's terabytes. Near future: pedabytes.
ReplyOr you could wait till 11am, stroll in without lining up and not have to endure high-fives, backslaps and early morning cold.
ReplyGotta be rent-a-queue.
Replylol I went there at 3.30pm and it was still packed .... would love to know how many Ipads were brought today as every man and his dog seemed to be buying them!
ReplyCurious how the media gives out free advertising to this company. This is not their first store in Perth, they've been here since the late 80's supplying the mostly graphic arts and pre-press market. Watch how you hold it fellas.
ReplyIt's the first shop owned by Apple, I think. They've slowly undermined the privately owned shops they used to rely on in the past, and this will probably finish the job. Not as much loyalty shown by the company as their customers I'm afraid.
Replyit looks only slightly bigger than the apple store in myer.. I bet the prices are the same as if you ordered the products. Its not like apple to negotiate on price. goto any shop to buy apple stuff and its within 1$ of RRP. Not saying its not good stuff, but it is expensive.
ReplyWait till they get their Bill............Declare Bankruptcy............lol
Reply