Apple Inc yesterday opened its first Southeast Asian store in Singapore, drawing hundreds of excited fans to the two story site in the city-state’s upmarket shopping district.
Located on the affluent Orchard Road, the new shop — easily distinguished by its iconic glass facade — is expected to be one of the most popular Apple stores in the world, the US tech giant said.
Merchandise such as the iPhone and MacBook were strategically placed on display across the spacious first floor, while the upper level acted as a classroom for customers to participate in hands-on sessions.
Photo: AFP
Hundreds of shoppers camped out in anticipation of the launch, while more than 1,000 thronged the store soon after the doors opened, a reporter observed.
First in the line was Xiang Jiaxin, a 25-year-old Chinese national working in Macau who had lined up for more than 12 hours overnight and planned a holiday to Singapore specially to coincide with the opening.
“I am very happy and excited to be part of this. I have participated in the official store openings in Macau, Guangzhou and Nanjing,” he said.
Apple, which has a staggering US$256.8 billion cash stockpile, celebrated its 40th anniversary last year.
Most of its earnings come from the iPhone, which faces increasingly tough competition in a saturated market.
The tech behemoth has nearly 500 stores worldwide with more than 1 million visitors daily. Aside from Singapore, its Asia shops are in Hong Kong, China and Japan.
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