Making moves
Tysons Corner, Freehold Raceway Mall, and more projects.
Perhaps you’ve heard the news by now: Apple Tysons Corner will reopen on May 19 at 10:00 a.m. — exactly 22 years to the minute since the original location opened. In preparation, the store will be closed on May 17 and 18, so if you’re planning to attend the opening and want to see the original store one last time, you’ll need to get there on the 16th.
Visitors to Tysons may also be interested in attending a very special event at nearby Apple Carnegie Library on the night before the opening.
Exclusive: Power of Us with Justina Miles (Presented in ASL)
Join us for a conversation with American Sign Language performer Justina Miles and hip-hop artist Warren “Wawa” Snipe in support of Global Accessibility Awareness Day. Known for her remarkable ASL performance for Rihanna at the Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show, Justina will share how she finds power in representing accessibility and inclusion. Followed by a Q&A.
Let me know if you’ll be in town for the new store!
Freehold Raceway Mall
Apple Freehold Raceway Mall in Freehold, New Jersey is moving to a new space. Last week, the makeshift banners pictured above were installed on the construction barrier at the store and later replaced with vinyl decals directly on the glass. The new store will be located on L1 next to Victoria’s Secret. Apple’s website has not yet been updated with a specific opening date.
Pardon our dust
There are an unusually high number of temporary Apple Store closures right now. In addition to Apple Tice’s Corner and Georgetown, which have been closed since January 31 and March 6, respectively, Apple Vélizy 2 in France will close from May 21 for renovations. Apple Pasadena in California will close from May 22.
The scope and duration of these most recent closures remains to be seen. Renovations at Apple Tice’s Corner, which I originally speculated could be minor, actually look to be quite comprehensive.
Longtime Tabletops readers might be familiar with my affinity for the pinstripe glass dividers that organized the earliest Apple Stores into sections. In light of changes at Tysons Corner, Tice’s Corner, and Freehold Raceway Mall — all locations still hanging onto their original glass — I ran the numbers and determined that there will now be just six stores worldwide with pinstripes intact. Here’s the list, which I expect to shrink before the end of the year:
Apple Wellington Green
Apple La Encantada
Apple Shinsaibashi
Apple South Shore
Apple La Cantera
Apple Staten Island
Apple in Vietnam
The Apple Store Online is coming to Vietnam on May 18. Check out Apple’s teaser page for a fun animation. The most obvious question following this announcement is whether Apple will eventually open physical stores in Vietnam. I haven’t heard anything so far, but it’s worth noting that more than two and a half years passed between the Apple Store Online coming to India and the first stores opening there.
Featured image
Apple 成都太古里
Photo via @xljroy.