Telstra has revealed the addition of almost one million new mobile services in the six months to December 2011, but Sensis revenues plummeted 24 percent in 12 months.
You could see that the people in the queue had never seen anything like it – heck I’d never seen anything like it, even though I’d read about the endless cheering at the Sydney Chatswood store opening of a few weeks prior.
Although the cheering was obviously being done for effect, and in some respects almost felt a little “Amway convention” rah-rah-ish, it was both artificial yet kinda cool at the same time. There’s that Apple contradiction again... and yes, Apple is about a bazillion times more impressive and better than poor old Amway.
The people streaming into the store seemed to like it, too: there were big smiles and happy faces throughout, and it was certainly a store opening that few of those lined up will ever forget in a hurry!
As previously noted, after about half an hour of watching this spectacle, it was time to leave, with hundreds still yet to enter the store, cheers aplenty and a store opening that the shopping centre management likely wish other stores could generate, too.
For now, this kind of store opening is an Apple exclusive, and we’ll only ever see it repeated when another official Apple store opens.
So... here are some photos of the store, the queues, the iPods and more. If you live in Melbourne, and have never seen an Apple store, it’s worth checking out – whether you’re an Apple fan, or not!
But remember, there are no discounts at the Apple store, everything is sold at the retail price.
If you’re looking to haggle or find discounted items, there are plenty of other stores selling Apple gear or iPod accessories, but Apple’s personal shopper service, in-store classes, truly knowledgeable sales staff, Genius Bar and attention to detail are things you certainly won’t find anywhere else, aside from the Telstra T-Life stores which are the closest thing to a copy.
But like all copies, there’s nothing like the original. Ultimately, the Apple store is a store, with things for sale like any other store. But despite some of that pseudo-religious fervour I spoke of earlier, Apple stores still make for an original retail “experience” that’s in a class of its own, just like the iPhone and essentially all of Apple’s other iDevices.
Really, it’s just an extension of all things Apple, and it’s almost a surprise they haven’t officially dubbed them iStores, but Apple stores instead!
Crowd lining up in front of store
Another angle of those first in line
The queue extending - it goes much further back still!
David Bass
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