The official retail store of Apple, Apple Orchard Road is opening its doors in Singapore on May 27 at 10 am. Just about last night workers started pasting the inauguration date on the white facade covering the front of the store at Knightsbridge mall, reported The Straits Times.
This first ever Apple retail store is not only a first for just Singapore but it's the first one to be opened in the entire South-east Asia.
In an interview with the publication, during the opening of the Apple Dubai Mall store last month, Apple's senior vice-president of retail Angela Ahrendts said, "We want to be on an iconic street, where people will naturally come, whether they are locals or tourists."
This is especially so when they have got the chance to open the first store in the country and to build a beautiful signature store for the community, added Ahrendts.
Associate professor Prem Shamdasani of the National University of Singapore Business School believes that the location is absolutely perfect and he said, "For more than a decade, Apple has been opening retail stores in very good locations in major cities globally to showcase its great products and enhance the brand experience for loyal fans and consumers."
He further added, "Singapore's position as a vibrant and progressive global city in South-east Asia will help to reinforce Apple's brand leadership in the region."
As of April this year, Apple has 495 retail stores in 20 countries across the globe.
Apart from selling products and devices, this store will also have "geniuses", so called by the company, who specializes in troubleshooting and repairing.
As we had reported earlier, Apple is planning to start "Today at Apple" sessions in its retail stores across the globe, which will be launched this week.
"For the Singapore store, Apple has appointed 12 Singaporean creatives as Red Dot Heroes. They are people who have made a contribution in their fields like the arts, photography, music or film," said the Straits Time.
These 12 people with various backgrounds will hold the sessions at the Apple Orchard Road. These geniuses include street photographer Aik Beng Chia, illustrator Kristal Melson, filmmaker Boo Junfeng, local singer Sezairi and more.
"The bar for customer service in Apple stores and online is high, supported by trained Geniuses and expert advice from Creative Pros to help customers get the most out of their Apple products. Happy customers equal to loyal Apple customers," said Mr. Clement Teo, principal analyst at market research firm Ovum.
Apart from that, as a part of supporting the clean environment, this store in Singapore will be 100% powered by clean energy using rooftop solar installations that have been provided by the Singapore-based solar energy provider Sunseap Group.
