An Apple Store for Dublin? Yes, says Apple, but not saying when

So on the plane back from Vegas, I was seated beside a guy who’s a senior manager for Apple Stores in Europe. He’d been to CES. We got talking about various things (like most Apple staff, he had no clue about an upcoming iSlate). Eventually we moved on to the topic of Apple Stores. I had one question: why was there an Apple Store in Belfast, for crying out loud, but NOT one in Dublin? He explained that it wasn’t based on a preference for Belfast over Dublin. He said that it was simply a case of rolling out the stores across the UK first. To prove his point, he said that they had only just opened their first Apple Store in France -- a major market -- before Christmas.
Anyway, here’s the story: he said that Apple Retail would definitely be putting in a store (he actually used the word “stores”) in Dublin. He did not say when. But he did say that Apple is absolutely anal about picking the right location in any given city. He said that the company held out for over a year from opening a Paris store because it wanted to get the right high-profile venue. (It did: the Louvre.)
Naturally, I told him that there were any number of high profile venues becoming available in Dublin. But, applying Apple’s location criteria to our capital city, it could only be Grafton Street. I told him this. However, I explained to him that Grafton Street was very, very expensive to rent. He said that that wasn’t the most important factor.
“If you look at where we put our stores, worldwide, they’re in the most expensive streets and retail areas,” he said. “They’re designed with a lot of space left for people to meet staff and do things other than be overwhelmed by product. And still our stores are among the most profitable retail outlets in the world, per square foot.”
I can think of a good venue for an Apple Store: the old Habitat shop that straddles Dame Street and Suffolk Street. I don’t think it would pass muster with Apple, though. Although only a stone’s throw from Grafton Street, it’s not actually ON Grafton Street. And that’s the kind of detail that would sink a venue, judging by what my plane-friend was saying.
Obviously there's no way that Apple would officially comment one way or the other on the matter. It never, ever comments on “speculation“, as it calls such queries.

Comments

[Stewart Curry]

The Habitat Store was exactly my first thought as well. The Belfast store isn't exactly in a super-high profile area.

[Niall Harbison]

Not sure about Grafton Street myself. If you think about Regent street or Louvre they are central but not packed with kids buying mobiles and tops for a tenner. Only way I could see Grafton street happening would getting that beneton in bottom of Stephens green shopping center or somewhere with an entire corner. Dundrum has similar footfall to Grafton street but not exclusive enough and not fitting with their brand. Be good to see it when it does get here though :)

[Mark]

Yeah - Habitat was my first thought as well, there's few other places I can picture them. Maybe kick BT2 out of Grafton St. move Apple in and there's Starbucks already upstairs - job done.

[ScottishWildcat]

Meh, this has been doing the rounds since June (including the Habitat part), nothing new here :)

http://www.siliconrepublic.com/news/article/13191/digital-life/apple-planning-a-retail-store-for-dublin

[Cian]

Could Apple have been the ones looking at this?... http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/commercialproperty/2010/0113/1224262189517.html

[lisadom]

I want it to be a glass box in the middle of Dundrum Town Centre - like the Mapple store on The Simpsons. xx

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I told him that there were any number of high profile venues becoming available in Dublin. But, applying Apple’s location criteria to our capital city, it could only be Grafton Street. I told him this. However, I explained to him that Grafton Street was very, very expensive to rent. He said that that wasn’t the most important factor.
“If you look at where we put our stores, worldwide, they’re in the most expensive streets and retail areas,” he said. “They’re designed with a lot of space left for people to meet staff and do things other than be overwhelmed by product
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Not sure about Grafton Street myself. If you think about Regent street or Louvre they are central but not packed with kids buying mobiles and tops for a tenner. Only way I could see Grafton street happening would getting that beneton in bottom of Stephens green shopping center or somewhere with an entire corner. Dundrum has similar footfall to Grafton street but not exclusive enough and not fitting with their brand. Be good to see it when it does get here though :)

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