S eattle will soon be looking forward to a second Apple Store in the area, according to an article at the Seattle Times. The first Seattle Apple Store, at Bellevue Square, opened in May, but Apple isnit releasing any details about when the new University Village store will open. The article also addresses such issues as the density of Apple Stores in Seattle (they will be about 12 miles apart), whether or not Appleis retail operations could eliminate independent Apple Stores, and the different kinds of service one gets at the independent outlets. From the Seattle Times:
So far, Seattle resellers are relatively sanguine about competing with the Apple stores. Most have developed a loyal customer base over the years and carved out niche markets in academia, small-to-medium businesses and graphics divisions of enterprises.
They see the Apple store as consumer-driven and often will send a certain type of consumer — particularly a newbie to the Mac world — to an Apple store for assistance. That strategy actually saves them hassle and expense, since the front end (educating the customer) can represent the biggest cost of a transaction.
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When I went shopping for a new PowerBook, I complained to an independent dealer that I wanted a 15-inch screen, but without the titaniumis attenuation problem. The dealer told me that Apple will be replacing the 15-inch titanium PowerBook with an aluminum version. But Apple stores have told me they canit confirm that an aluminum 15-incher is coming.
Thatis hardly surprising. Apple has lots of reasons for keeping its product flaws and plans secret. But consumers and businesses also have a need to know whatis coming down the pike if theyire to make the right purchasing decisions.
You can read the full article at the Seattle Timesi Web site, and we found it to be an interesting read.