Besides the LIverpool One retail store opening this weekend, Apple will hold grand opening for three other stores: Sainte Catherine (Montreal) on Friday at 5 p.m., and then  Arrowhead Towne Center (Ariz.) and King Street (SC) on Saturday at 10 a.m. The openings begin a series of 23 new stores before the end of September, as promised on Monday by CFO Peter Oppenheimer during a conference call with financial analysts.

Apple has announced that the Liverpool One (UK) retail store will open this Saturday at 9 a.m. The store is the first in the city, and fills in coverage for that part of the country, which has a metro population of over 800,000 residents. The first 1,000 visitors will receive a commemorative T-shirt, and there will be a random prize giveaway.

On Monday Apple Inc. reported that its retail store financial results dipped for the third quarter of 2008 when compared to the previous quarter, but that revenue, profit and number of visitors all increased substantially when compared to the year-ago quarter. It was the second quarter of decline for the Retail segment, although admittedly the retreat comes in the aftermath of a record-breaking holiday first quarter. It’s not clear if the general economic decline in the United States contributed to the dip in retail figures, or if it’s related to other factors. Overall, Apple reported the highest quarterly revenue and profit in the company’s history, and record sales of nearly 2.5 million Mac computers. Revenue was $7.46 billion, generating a profit of $1.07 billion. The company sold over 11 million iPods and 717,000 iPhones during the quarter. The Retail segment reported revenues of $1.44 billion during the quarter, down slightly from the previous quarter, but over up 68% from the same quarter of 2007. The stores posted a profit of $297 million, down 11% from the previous quarter, and up 61% from the year-ago quarter. The stores sold 476,000 Macs during the quarter, and during a conference call CFO Peter Oppenheimer said the stores hosted 598,000 personal training sessions over the past three months.

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There have been persistent rumors that Apple encountered building permit problems after submitting a building permit application for the store on Wisconsin Avenue in the Georgetown section of Washington (DC). The former tenant has long-since moved out, but now photos of the interior show that nothing has changed since the departure. The evidence all leads to the question: Is this still an active store location? The store would be the first within the District, although there are several other stores in surrounding Maryland and Virginia. See photos after the break. read more…

Apple Inc.’s first-ever retail store in China opened at The Village at Sanlitun (Beijing) shopping development with a large overnight crowd of enthusiasts, and a continuing line of very curious visitors after the doors opened. The store represents a very small but financially significant step in broadening Apple’s retail presence around the world. About 85 persons officially stayed overnight in an air conditioned space provide by the property manager adjacent to the store, avoiding the heat and offering power, bathrooms and bottled water. It was a sleepy crowd that was funneled into 10 numbers lanes around 8:15 a.m., and then finally allowed outside into the main waiting queue. A large group of photographers assembled for the opening as the crowd held provided umbrellas against the blazing sun. At 10 a.m. the manager came out, yelled out the traditional question “Are you ready?” in Chinese, and the 400 or so in line began to file into the store amid clapping and yelling. After taking their commemorative T-shirt boxes, the visitors headed straight for the product displays, demonstrating an intense interest in each and every Apple product. The store is an odd bird, with a trapezoidal shape, an overhead “box” with backlit Apple logo, two cashwrap positions and a smallish Genius Bar. Although the store is bright and airy, the views on two sides stare into unfinished adjacent buildings. Only the front of the store has a view of the mall’s plaza. Check my full report here, and a collection of photos here. read more…

The very first Apple store in China is ready for its grand opening at The Village at Sanlitun (Beijing), and a large overnight crowd has formed in an indoor space arranged by Apple. At 8:15 a.m. the latest wristband was numbered 273, with more people being added to the line each minute. Apple’s store is nearly invisible from the street, since it’s on the inner courtyard, and within a section that otherwise is not completely constructed. But once you see Apple’s store, it’s impressive–a three-story glass façade covering two visible floors, and a level covered with stainless steel. Topping off the store is a huge “bridge” to another section of the mall, covered with stainless steel and punctuated with a back-lit Apple logo. It’s not clear what this overhanging section really is–part of the store interior or simply an architectural feature that allows posting of Apple’s logo. View some photos after the break. read more…

The storefront of the future Ste. Catherine (Montreal) retail store will be stone and glass, instead of the stainless steel that has graced retail stores until now. Photos of the store on the MacEtMoi Web site show medium-gray stone being installed, similar to Burlingame (N. Calif.) and North Michigan Avenue (Chicago), along with a two-story glass front, just like the Boylston Street (Boston) store. The stone is visible to passersby, but the glass façade and interior is hidden by strips of hanging black plastic. The store could open within a month. read more…

After spending nearly a week camped in front of the Fifth Avenue (NYC) retail store for the iPhone 3G debut and his White House Organic Farm cause, Daniel Simon had the welcome mat pulled out from under him at 8 a.m. Instead of entering the Glass Cube first, he was whisked away from the entrance by a security guard as he walked up to the door carrying a basket of apples and an American flag. No one has explained exactly why Simon was pulled aside, but he was later allowed to enter the store and make his iPhone purchase. Now, on a Fortune magazine Web page, Simon calls the incident, “a simple misunderstanding.” He explained that he was taking the apples into the store to share with employees. Simon said that Sr. VP Retail Ron Johnson had apologized to him about the incident. “We agreed it was EXTREMELY bad judgment on the part of one private security guard… and that bygones will be bygones.” Despite the encounter, Simon said, “All in all, it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life.”

Dell Computer may resurrect their languishing retail store initiative after design tweaks by a consulting firm, based on focus groups in “Apple’s back yard” of San Francisco. Texas-based THINQ Design and Interactive says on its Web site that Dell asked it to, “evaluate, test and recommend new store strategies to make the store competitive with the likes of Best Buy on the big box level and the Apple Store on the boutique level.” The concepts that THINQ developed focus on four areas: peripherals/software, secondary products and TV/entertainment, store segmentation, or store service. The company reports that, “Both layout and materials were influenced and a new store is coming soon.” Dell opened its first full retail store at the Northpark (Dallas, Tex.) mall in August, 2006 (story). By April, 2007 there were reports that Dell had cancelled future stores. Last January Dell said it would close all of its existing kiosk locations to adopt, “a retail strategy that enables Dell to connect with customers it has not necessarily reached in the past”–apparently referring to big-box stores like Best Buy. Check one illustration of the new design proposals after the break. read more…

There is evidence that AT&T beefed up cellular coverage in the vicinity of at least some Apple retail stores last Friday when the iPhone 3G debuted, apparently in order to provide a superior customer experience for those assembled at the stores. For example, some time late Thursday, a white, unmarked Chevy Astro van appeared on the top floor of the four-story parking structure just south of the San Francisco retail store. Adjacent to the van was a 25-foot scissor lift, on which an array of antennas was installed, linked to the van by a cable. The configuration of the antennas indicates they were were for cellular service. See a photo after the break. read more…

There were still long lines of iPhone 3G buyers at Apple’s stores the day after the product’s debut, even though the serious server glitches that created lengthy purchase delays on Friday had been fixed. Field surveys of San Francisco area Apple stores in mid-afternoon found at least 20 to 30 persons constantly in line to buy an iPhone, translating to a waiting time of 45 minute to one hour. At some stores, there was a 20-minute waiting line even for visitors who just wanted to browse. Once inside the store, iPhone buyers still experienced an extended purchase experience, mostly because of the requirement to register for an AT&T service plan before leaving the store. read more…

On Friday night’s edition of “The Tonight Show,” host Jay Leno took a three-joke shot at Apple’s debut of the iPhone 3G during his monologue, including at the waiting line participants. Leno joked about how he received a dial version of the new iPhone, and that it replaced on earlier version introduced Wednesday. Leno also pondered the persons who spent a week in line to buy the iPhone, telling them, “You don’t need a cell phone. You need a life.” Watch the video after the break. read more…

Friday’s debut of new iPhone 3G model turned to disaster when Apple support computer systems failed to allow buyers to register their handsets at the store, a new requirement intended to insure that all purchased phones are used on AT&T’s network. The computer problems surfaced shortly after Apple’s retail stores opened on the east coast at 8 a.m., and continued as west coast stores began letting customers inside three hours later. The problems, apparently related to the iTunes servers, persisted through noon on the west coast, leaving potential buyers waiting for hours in front of both Apple and AT&T stores. My visits to two stores confirmed that waiting times to purchase an iPhone 3G were over three hours, but also showed that everyone in line seemed content to wait and be patient. read more…

Unlike some others who have formed a waiting line for Friday’s iPhone 3G debut, the first person in line at the Walnut Creek (N. Calif.) retail store is a real Apple enthusiast. Aaron arrived on Wednesday at 11 a.m., and then sat by himself in a comfortable chair for seven hours before anyone else joined him. By 7:30 p.m. Thursday evening, another 15 persons had gathered for the 8 a.m. first sales, including a handful of speculators offering to give up their place in line for money. Power for a music system and laptops was graciously provided the city, via the AC power connection on a nearby tree that usually powers decorative lights. read more…

The enthusiasm that is “Apple” has fueled waiting lines days in advance of Friday’s debut of the iPhone 3G, but much of the energy seems to be focused beyond the actual cellular device. News reports from points in the United States seem to paint a picture of summer teens, people on vacation and groups bent on publicizing a political cause, rather than very determined buyers. Check some stories after the break. read more…

Actor Eddie Murphy and other stars were at the Fifth Avenue (NYC) store in June, 2007 to film a feature-length movie that has now been released as “Meet Dave.” The movie stars Murphy as an alien arriving in unfamiliar surroundings, trying out an iPod and earphones at the Apple store, and running into a clerk to send boxes flying. The official trailer of for the movie omits the Apple store scene, but promos on television show two quick clips of the store interior. See stills of the promo and a short clip after the break. read more…

Apple has officially announced the grand opening of its first China retail store for July 19th at 10 a.m., inside The Village of SanLiTun in Beijing. The three-level store is within a new development that includes several other international retailers, including Nike, Adidas and Sephora. The store’s location northeast of city center was Apple’s second choice, after a government renovation of Qianmen Street near Tiananmen Square wasn’t completed in time for Apple to outfit its space. Apple has also posted a Web page for the store showing its calendar of events and a map of the store’s location. read more…

A line of thunderstorms swept over Birmingham (Ala.) Wednesday night, accompanied by lightning, high winds and over and inch and one-half of rain in two hours. The storm shattered the front glass door of Apple store at The Summit, but no one was injured. read more…

New York Times technology guru David Pogue re-visited the Fifth Avenue (NYC) to report on the latest version of the iPhone. Unlike his music video about the first version, Pogue grabbed an MSNBC microphone and video crew, and used a shill at the front of the waiting line to provide the script for his iPhone 3G review. Watch his video here with the iconic Glass Cube of the Apple store in the background.

A Puerto Rico-based magazine publisher has created a promotion for one of its Web sites that states that Apple will open store on the island in 2009. But a closer look at the poster for “Caribbean Business” reveals that the news item is simply an exaggerated sample of what information might appear on the new Web site. The magazine is part of several published by Casiano Communications, which claims to be the largest Hispanic publisher of magazines and periodicals in the United States. The iWant MUG of Puerto Rico has been asking Apple to locate a store on the island for the past two years, but so far there’s been no evidence that Apple intends to locate there. read more…