More Details on Tacoma's Apple Store
It’s been nearly a year since we first saw the job postings for the not-quite-announced Apple store in the Tacoma Mall. While we’ve seen a job posting here or there, it’s been pretty quiet. Well, The News Tribune is now reporting on a few more details. Apparently the old Nordstroms location will be divided for multiple tenants with Apple taking up one of the spaces. Expect the store to be open by early summer. Can you wait that long?
Link to The News Tribune
Previously on Exit133: Tacoma to Get Apple Store
Filed under: tacoma-business
23 comments
T Thorax O'Tool October 29, 2009
Meh. I personally don’t care for Apple’s crippled products, but hey. Even 10 more jobs in town are good.
So why the mall and not in Pac Plaza? It looks more “apple” than the mall does.
C crenshaw sepulveda October 29, 2009
Seriously, Pacific Plaza would have been the place to put it. Not sure about how crippled Apple’s products are, I’m having a swell time running Windows 7 on my MacBook. I have to confess that Microsoft finally got it right.
D Derek staff October 29, 2009
Good to hear an update. I’m excited that I wont have to travel to Tukwilla for the closest Apple store.
TOT, downtown isn’t going to a good place for shopping for a long time. If it was Nordstrom would have built there instead of in the mall. Apple will get more foot traffic in the mall. It wouldn’t make sense for them to put their store in Pac Plaza (maybe the only good reason being students at UW-T).
R RapPilot October 29, 2009
I’m curious to know if economic development made any effort to get Apple downtown.
Apple is exactly the kind of destination anchor retailer that is needed to get the ball rolling. I think the foot traffic argument is meaningless for a retailer like Apple — it’s a destination. They create their own foot traffic.
C crenshaw sepulveda October 29, 2009
My thinking exactly, RapPilot. The store is the draw, all the Apple people from miles around would be coming in. On the other hand maybe they count on more than that for their business, there is a lot more foot traffic at the mall than there is downtown, but I think it would have worked. Maybe Microsoft will put in a MS Store in Pacific Plaza instead. Bill Gates, are you listening?
N Nick October 30, 2009
I realistically didn’t expect Apple to open up shop downtown anytime soon, but I was kinda hoping we might see one at Point Ruston. The mall location means we’re probably too saturated for it now, but who knows?
N Nick October 30, 2009
Also, is it me, or is the Pacific Ave. side of UWT’s new lecture hall look very “Apple?” Every time I pass by I always think that storefront area would be perfect for an apple store.
N Nick October 30, 2009
What we need is some kind of entity (either public or private) to do exactly what the mall does and aggressively recruit retailers to locate in downtown storefronts.
God knows we’ve now got the storefront inventory downtown to do it, we just need a way to pull all the owners together to start marketing their vacant storefronts collectively, just like a mall does to fill its spaces.
T TacomaThinker October 30, 2009
@9 What would the recruiter use as a means to compensate for the lack of foot traffic? I think it’s a great idea, I just wonder if there’s much to offer so far. Could you base it on density? I wouldn’t want the government subsidizing companies, I’d want fertile soil on there own. Can you imagine the anger if in 10 years they moved out and we had blown 50 million on nothing. I think the 3000 students and however many faculty are the key market.
M Mofo from the Hood October 30, 2009
How hard is it to get to 13th & Pacific?
Is there one, just one business recruiter in Tacoma, that can read a map and see that all roads lead downtown?
A state college could plant a campus on Pacific Avenue and people in Tacoma would say that there is no reason to establish retail in downtown.
Bus companies could drive new buses from Seattle and from all points of Pierce County—-drive buses right past 13th & Pacific and people in Tacoma would say that there’s no potential for retail downtown.
You could take a downtown street corner survey of all the workers and students and not one, not one person could explain why there should be retail at 13th & Pacific.
Free enterprise in downtown Tacoma?
What! Are you out of your gourd?!
Look, the prissy 20-something year-old graduates from community college that control the marketing for the Tacoma Mall, they’ve been kicking downtown’s ass for so long that it’s just common knowledge in Tacoma to shop at the Mall.
Meanwhile downtown at the Chamber of Commerce meeting, there’s a tea & crumpet party with a sing-a-long and story-time about good old Tacoma back in the 1920’s.
Well heck, when I was a member and paid like 400 bucks to join, I guess I expected to get some business contracts signed, and whooo boy, was I in the wrong place.
Who downtown would think of recruiting a business entity like Apple? Why would Apple want to move to 13th & Pacific? Why would any retail operation want to set up shop there?
A store that sells state-of-the-art computer technology in downtown? That kinda thinking is just goofy. That don’t make no kinda sense.
T Thorax Z. O'Tool October 30, 2009
I’m very convinced that the City needs to do “what it takes” to get the UWT to build some student housing in downtown. Court 17 is nice, but let’s get some dorms. In case no one noticed, the UWT is the biggest UW branch. Run with it. If you got more people living downtown, then by golly it begins to build critical mass… just like everyone knows needs to happen. We got a seed, why not give it some sun and water?
It’d also be awesome to get a WSU branch campus at the north end of downtown. I mean, why not? Build a school and the kids will come. Create a city they like and they don’t leave. It works for the 3 cities in the NW that are over 500K people, why can’t it work for us?
But in all seriousness, can’t the City offer some kinda sweetheart “Economic Collapse Blow-Out!” pricing to get a few retailers into Pac Plaza? I mean, it’s not like retail doesn’t need every ounce of help it can get.
But I do (though not a fan of M$) like the idea of a Micro$oft store in Pac Plaza. People would literally, literally line up down the block to get ax X Box for $11 cheaper than at Worst Buy.
D David Koch October 30, 2009
@11 Mofo: Don’t drive angry!!
Y You're Welcome October 30, 2009
I’m all for a thriving economy in downtown Tacoma. I would love to see us support the mall and a downtown economic recovery. Seattle and other cities can do it, all we are missing is the population.
Seriously, do you really want to see the mall fold up on itself like the house at the end of Poltergeist? What will happen to the surrounding neighborhood? Another high crime ghost town? How can this not scare you? Because it’s not your neighborhood? Not your backyard? Why would you want another dark hole in this city just when we’re starting to shine some light on the last one?
J Jesse October 30, 2009
This Apple store is a perfect “destination” store. People make special trips to this place and therefore, I think it would work downtown even with the mall right up the road.
If the mall doesn’t go away, it’s going to take a few destination stores like this (with balls) to locate downtown to get retail going again.
J justanothergeoduck October 30, 2009
If the mall doesn’t go away, it’s going to take a few destination stores like this (with balls) to locate downtown to get retail going again.
We may want an Apple store downtown, but why would Apple want an Apple store downtown. We need to be focusing on regional players with whom our city, developers, and citizens can make a personal pitch. Any large corporate retailer has processes and minimum standards that downtown Tacoma will not meet any time soon. Our economic development is not their job.
M Mofo from the Hood October 30, 2009
Mofo from the Hood
Mofo from the Mall
Yeahhh…now the fog is starting to clear and I can finally see like the other’s —-I can see how I can increase my influence in Tacoma…
L Len October 30, 2009
I used to live near UWT and getting to that area was not fun, Pacific gets too crowded and traffic crawls, and the parking is terrible. As much as I dislike going to the Mall I think it’s easier to get to than a store in the downtown area would be.
J jamie from thriceallamerican October 30, 2009
If the mall doesn’t go away, it’s going to take a few destination stores like this (with balls) to locate downtown to get retail going again.
I, for one, would welcome a balls store downtown.
D DavidS October 30, 2009
jamie-
Do you have a list of recommended customers? Just for marketing purposes of course.
J jamie from thriceallamerican October 30, 2009
@DavidS, the ref from last nights Sounders match could sure use a pair…
C crenshaw sepulveda October 30, 2009
We already have a balls store downtown, DTI Soccer. 409 Puyallup Ave.
J Jesse October 30, 2009
“with balls” = Willing to take a big chance.
Get your minds out of the gutter.
L Logs November 2, 2009
from what I have heard and read Point Ruston’s retail area will be perfect for that type of retailer… I am looking forward to seeing this area come online with the best shopping in the area.