Tacoma Mall Apple Store Grand Opening - First Pics
Dispatched from the new Tacoma Mall Apple Store: 10:19 a.m., May 29, 2010.
Lonnie Schaffert woke up at 3 a.m. this morning. He grabbed his iPhone, his iPad and his family and headed to the Tacoma Mall to get in line for the grand opening of Tacoma’s new Apple Store.
His was the lone group waiting outside the mall when the doors opened at 5 a.m., but five hours later he was posing for pictures with employees of the new store. Five minutes after that, he was able to add the third t-shirt to his growing collection of Apple grand opening commemorative t-shirts. (Hurry down if you’re in the area — best estimates indicate only about half of the t-shirts have been handed out).
The rest of the line was filled with twenty-somethings in rainbow Apple logo earrings, self-described “Apple freak” high-schoolers and Tacomans excited about the free t-shirts for the first 1,000 attendees. No word on whether any of them purchased the Juicy Couture iPhone covers.
Enthusiastic employees break-danced and led the waiting crowd of Apple freaks in a “T-Town” chant as the clock ticked down to the official opening.
Media were led on a sneak peek tour before the doors officially opened, while “senior leader” Duke Zurek emphasized the company’s commitment to community, family and Tacoma. Zurek wouldn’t say how many employees Apple hired for the store, but said most of them came from Tacoma and the surrounding community. He said the store will be open for people to stop by and use the computers to check their e-mail, surf the Internet (yes, as I am doing right now), etc.
This is definitely another reason to say in T-Town rather than trek up to Tukwila for your shopping needs (the long-awaited opening of the Tacoma Mall H&M will be another one — hallelujah), but is a new store at the mall really going to build community? Looking around right now I see groups of people clustered around laptops, listening to music and showing off their new merchandise. After today? You’ll be the judge.
Filed under: tacoma-business
4 comments
C crenshaw sepulveda May 29, 2010
The neighborhood is improving. BUY NOW!!! or INVEST!!!
T Thorax O'Tool June 1, 2010
Ow… the sterile white and bright florescent lighting hurts my eyes.
Really, it does.
So, why didn’t Apple open up in Pac Plaza? That seems a much more Appl-like location than the Mall does…
B broadweezy June 3, 2010
iSheep.
K KaCe Whitacre June 3, 2010
I decided to drop by the Mall to see the new store. I guess I don’t go there very often because it was very different from my last visit. A new Nordstroms (first time to see the building, let alone go inside), and a reconfigured entrance to the old Nordstroms, now Apple and other shops… nothing was too obvious from the parking lot; in the pouring rain. I dashed between rain drops into the main doors opposite Macy’s and found the New Apple Store crowded at 3:30 pm on opening day. I found a manager and was told 835 people waited in line for the opening. I spoke with others in our local Macintosh user group and found out about 18 of our members went down (that we know of). Lots of people were talking to their neighbors in line and everyone was excited to have a major store in our area.
I am pleased to have this business in the south sound. The drive north was NOT a quick or easy one. I hope it does well. And that we all enjoy it.