Hundreds take a byte from Apple
People began queuing outside the store on Friday morning
Hundreds of people have flocked to the opening of Apple's first Scottish store.
The company behind the iPod and iMac opened its new retail centre in Glasgow's Buchanan Street at 0900 BST.
The first 1,500 people entering the shop were greeted by staff applauding and cheering and were handed a free t-shirt.
The new £1m store, which will employ 59 people, is the company's 10th in the UK and 190th worldwide.
The first customer had travelled over from the US especially for the opening and had been queuing since Friday morning.
I'm a Mac loyalist and am just curious to see how this store compares to the ones in London and the US
Tom Lundberg
Steve Cano, senior director with Apple International, said: "When we went for dinner last night there were about 12 or 13 people queuing but by 5am this morning there were hundreds so we brought coffee out to them.
"This is our first store in Scotland and its very special to have one in this historic building with great customers. We love being in Buchanan Street."
Apple customers, known for their fierce loyalty to the brand, have been known to queue days in advance of the stores opening elsewhere around the world.
The Glasgow store features youth workshops and a "genius bar", where customers are given one-to-one attention by Apple experts.
The store features a "genius bar" where Apple experts are on hand
Shoppers can also "test drive" new products, including 45 Macs and 50 iPods.
One shopper, 17-year-old Stephen Bissett, from Glasgow, said: "I was actually only in the queue for 45 minutes but was prepared to wait for hours.
"It was a good atmosphere though. People were chatting about all the Apple stuff. There are a lot of people really dedicated to Apple products.
"As soon as I heard there was a store opening in Glasgow I knew I'd be there on the opening day."
Tom Lundberg, 40, a politics lecturer at Glasgow University, who is originally from Seattle, said: "I've been a Mac user for about 20 years.
It was a bit strange when we came in and the staff were clapping and cheering but it was fun
Louise Thomson
"I'm a Mac loyalist and am just curious to see how this store compares to the ones in London and the US, and to see the new iMac in the flesh."
Alison Brady, 38, from Glasgow, said she was looking forward to seeing the store's glass spiral staircase.
"It's fantastic," she said. "Apple has a glass staircase in all its stores and I was especially interested as I used to work at a glass company.
"I've been to the Apple store in New York so wanted to see this one. I'm thinking about updating my iPod and will probably come back quite a bit."
Kris Goodman and his girlfriend, Louise Thomson, both 21, from Barrhead, also gave their approval.
The company spent £1m converting a furniture store
"It was a bit strange when we came in and the staff were clapping and cheering but it was fun," Louise said.
The company is understood to have spent more than £1m converting the Category A property, which previously housed a home furnishing store.
Throughout September the store will host a series of events, including five in-store concerts featuring Scottish bands.
The concerts will be recorded and posted on the iTunes music store a week later.
Three days after the opening, The Dykeenies are scheduled to perform the first of the live shows from the store.
By : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/6961413.stm
Keyword : Apple
