Apple has set 9 a.m. on Friday, June 27 as opening time for its newest Australian retail address, Apple Forrest Place, handing Perth’s central business district a higher-profile venue than the company’s long-serving Hay Street Mall shop. The existing store, which first welcomed shoppers in 2010, will close two days earlier on Wednesday, June 25, and its entire team will shift 400 metres north to the new site so Genius Bar repairs, product pick-ups, and Today at Apple classes continue without interruption.
The incoming store fills a sandstone-fronted building completed in the early 1930s for the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and, more recently, occupied by swimwear chain City Beach. Positioned on the pedestrian square where Forrest Place meets Murray Street, it lies at the doorstep of Perth Station, major shopping arcades, and the city’s outdoor events plaza.
That vantage point, plus a larger footprint, gives Apple a chance to capture both commuters and weekend crowds while showcasing its latest retail design language, expansive product displays, wider walkways, and a purpose-built zone for free creative sessions.
Apple frames the relocation as “opening the door to a new era of growth for Perth and for you,” signalling the company’s global strategy of transplanting older urban stores into architecturally significant spaces that provide taller ceilings, stronger street sight-lines, and more space for community programs. While the move does not add to the tally of more than twenty Apple Stores already operating across Australia, it mirrors recent high-profile relocations in Tucson, Arizona, and Birmingham, England, and underlines the tech giant’s push to make its retail outlets local cultural hubs rather than mere sales counters.
New Store, New Wallpaper
In the run-up to launch day, Apple has released a Forrest Place-themed floral wallpaper for iPhone, iPad, and Mac and is curating playlists, films, and book recommendations from Western Australian musicians, directors, and authors across Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple Books. The company often celebrates grand openings with limited-edition tote bags and photo backdrops, though it has yet to confirm whether those extras will appear in Perth. Local Apple fans remember queuing overnight when the Hay Street store debuted 14 years ago, and staff quietly expect similar crowds next week.
When the glass doors finally slide open on June 27, Apple is betting that the more central location and roomier interior will turn Forrest Place into downtown Perth’s go-to venue for product launches, software lessons, and community art events, keeping customers firmly inside the company’s meticulously choreographed retail ecosystem for many years to come.