Apple foresees that the Apple Orchard Road in Singapore is set to be one of its most high-profile stores around the world. The double-storey outlet in the country’s famous Orchard Road shopping district opens tomorrow, 27 May.
With over 500 Apple Stores in 20 countries around the world, these stores attract over 1 million visitors every day. And, as the first Apple Store in the South East Asian region, the company is expecting a lot of traffic at Apple Orchard Road.
The double-storey outlet serves two purposes: a storefront for customers to purchase Apple goods and accessories, and the upper level is designed to be a “forum”-like space for events, workshops, and a focal point of Apple activities.
The two floors are linked by two beautiful stone-carved spiral stairs at the two ends of the store. These are said to be inspired by the upcoming Apple Park campus in Cupertino, which is the company’s future headquarters when it is completed at the end of this year.
The ground floor looks like a typical modern Apple Store front, with wooden tables arranged symmetrically across the floor, with plenty of space between. The walls are adorned thematically, with one panel for audio gear, another for iPhone accessories, and more; these panels are designed to mimic shop windows.
The upper floor is what Apple describes as “the forum” – a communal space designed to look like a town square. There are “groves” with seats underneath trees flown in from Malaysia where visitors can speak to Apple Geniuses or just to chill out. There are also several large empty tables in the area, as well as an open space with stools and a huge digital board.
These are all designed for Apple’s community-driven activities, collectively called Today at Apple. Eight to ten activities will be hosted here daily, which range from thematic photo walks, sketch walks, as well as coding workshops for children.
What’s unique with these activities are that everyone are allowed to participate, even if they don’t own an Apple product. For example, participants can use their own phones for the photowalk, or borrow an iPhone. The same goes for the sketch walk, where participants can try out the iPad Pro with Apple Pen.
Ultimately, this is how Apple will differentiate itself from the premium resellers that will co-exist with the store in Singapore. The Apple Orchard Road will be the focal point for Apple users, and will be a pit stop for fans throughout the region.
