[hart]

I just thought I'd pick up a case for my ipod, no problem, so I went by the Apple store in Soho (NYC) yesterday, Saturday.

How can I express the...absolute THICKNESS of the crowd. Perhaps I should have been suspicious coming out of the subway when some man with an ipod asked a guy coming into the subway with an ipod where the Apple store was. The store was INPENETRABLE. People were draped over the railings taking pictures of themselves, their friends, the crowd. It was like some enormous overbooked Picasso show at the Met, thick with people just wandering around staring glazedly. Lines to buy wrapped all around the floor on both levels. Every seat in the theatre filled for a lecture on how to use itunes. The pristine restrooms ravaged and destroyed. Toddlers fighting for a poof in the kiddy section.

I was skeptical about the wisdom of opening two more (rumored) stores in Manhattan. Many before have made mistakes by overextending their retail presence. But the overflow from that store would more than fill two more stores. In the end I decided to take my $29.99 elsewhere rather than wait an hour in line.

And then while walking away I walked by a very high-end home furnishings store, Moss and was impressed to see a lineup of 15 or so new imacs as registers.

So in conclusion, go for the crowd but don't plan to buy anything on Saturday.

[kemuri]

What was the store like? Pretty amazing?

[Moderator]

why would i go for the crowd.

I never quite understood the scene there. If you're already into your Mac..what could you possibly have to do here other than stand in a huge crowd.

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally posted by Moderator:
why would i go for the crowd.

I never quite understood the scene there. If you're already into your Mac..what could you possibly have to do here other than stand in a huge crowd.

I usually go for the OS X upgrades... but that's about it. I no longer even do that... I just order online. I can't stand crowds.

[Dimethyltrypt]

SoHo is the only store I've seen and -- all I can say is "wow!"

[James L]

I have only been to the SoHo store (my wife left me there for 2 hours while she went shopping...LOL) and to the the San Francisco store. They are very similiar, as I bet most of them are.

I was in the SoHo store in July and it was packed then too. Unbelievable busy.

P.S., as I often mention if you haven't... GO to NYC. Absolutely fantastic place.

Cheers,

James

edit: My wife gave me a spending limit when I was in there which kind of pissed me off (though it was a safe play on her part). Boy was I pissed when she came walking in with arms full of bags. I was about to snap until I realized that almost all of them were from the Victoria's Secret store a block up the road. I decided to take the high road and not discuss the double standard until....ummm.... later.

[kemuri]

I haven't ventured into a single Apple store yet, but I'm keen to see how they've set them up. Must pop in some time.

[Silky Voice of The Gorn]

The best part of the Soho store are the WOMEN there. Holy effing...

[MaxPower2k3]

if you haven't been, check out Tekserve on 23rd between 6th and 7th ave. great mac-only store with a bit more personality than the Apple stores. It can also get pretty busy there, though, depending on what you're going in for.

[Josh Reid]

The SoHo store is an ABSOLUTE MESS and I have a horrible experience every time I go there (which is only when I need something in a rush, and it's not available anywhere else). The main checkout terminal downstairs isn't used only to help customer's complete their purchase...it's used to open credit accounts when purhcasing like $5,000 worth of stuff, to handle intricate returns where the worker has to call Apple Headquarters and get approvals and blahblah.

EVERY time I have been there (4-5 times), I have waited literally an hour in the checkout line. I literally walked in, asked for the Belkin iPod Recorder (which was only available at the registers), and waited in line for 50 minutes.

Then, they have people who in that same general area, who are waiting for stock people to bring out their new computers/printers/displays...so as soon as the stock person finally comes out, someone from this group of waiting people has to skip the line that is predictably stretching throughout the entire first floor of the store. Another time, I was assisting a friend who was purchasing an eMac setup, and we waited, for not surprisingly 45 minutes after I had told the worker, "We want the blahblah eMac model, the blahblah printer, thank you." Apparently that worker's shift was over in 10 minutes, and failed to tell anyone that we needed stock. We asked someone else (as no one has EVER actually said 'Can I help you?' without you practically stalking THEM to get help), and they finally brought out the computer. So what could have been 10 minutes in & out turned into an hour+ ordeal for NO good reason.

Well, sorry for the rant, but I just can not get over the lack of common sense and improper management that this flagship Apple store gets. It can be an infuriating experience.

[spatterson]

I think I should move there... Alot better than Reno, Nevada...

I'll tell you what... How about I wait in line at soho, while you can drive to San Francisco to see an apple store.

I miss living in Atlanta :-(

[anthonyvthc]

Originally posted by spatterson:
I think I should move there... Alot better than Reno, Nevada...

I'll tell you what... How about I wait in line at soho, while you can drive to San Francisco to see an apple store.

I miss living in Atlanta :-(

Try the Vegas store. What a mess. It's on the strip (well, in a mall on the strip) and it is obviously filled with (rich) tourists. It is a VERY tiny location, the staff tend to not know what they're talking about, and it is constantly packed (like even on a Tuesday morning at opening). Ugh.
Of course I still go frequently (cause I"m an idiot).

[wdlove]

I really want to visit NYC again, just so that I can see the SoHo Apple Store.

[TheJoshu]

J&R is the easiest to get in and out of, Tekserve is crowded and sometimes annoying but has kitsch appeal, and the Apple Store is hellish for most things. That said, none of these places has ever really let me down.

[ink]

At the San Francisco store today on the new iMac. It's bloody crowded in here, and nothing new is out.

The new iMac is lame. I like iLamp better.

[nredman]

the only apple store i have ever been in was the cherry creek store in denver. i haven't been to any here in minnesota. there was a good number of people at the cherry creek store when i stopped in on a weekday, i'm sure its pretty busy on weekends. i still would buy a mac online but i did pick up something for my ipod that day

[Eug Wanker]

They almost kicked me outta SOHO, just cuz I took a pic of the cool glass stairs.

[iREZ]

Any pics...I'm probably going to visit during the summer.

[ThinkInsane]

I went to the Soho store for the first time on Monday, and it really is quite impressive. I want one of those glass staircases for my place. It certainly puts our mini-store to shame.

The odd thing was, we asked our lunch waiter if he knew where the Soho Apple Store was, and he replied �I�m not sure about the soho store, the only one I�ve ever been to is on Prince off of Broadway�. This had my friend Lauren and I looking at each other with raised eyebrows and quizzical looks.

[hart]

Originally posted by Eug Wanker:
They almost kicked me outta SOHO, just cuz I took a pic of the cool glass stairs.

really? what was THAT about? stealing company secrets?

[Wiskedjak]

Originally posted by hart:
really? what was THAT about? stealing company secrets?

No retail stores want you taking pictures.

[Eug Wanker]

Originally posted by Wiskedjak:
No retail stores want you taking pictures.

Except that everyone always takes pix in that store.

[James L]

I could post dozens of pics of the Apple Soho store... never once had anyone say a word too me about it.

As a matter of fact, I have several of the employees posed in a shot with my wife!