canarob
Senior Member
At 9,200 square feet, the Markville location is pretty huge:
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MetroMan
Senior Member
Apple desperately needs another store downtown. I just wrote this letter to Tim Cook:
Hi Tim, I'm emailing you with a concern that I think requires your attention since you have taken on overseeing retail.
Toronto, Canada's largest city, the 4th largest in North America and no doubt a large market for Apple has only ever had one downtown mall store that is in a small space on the 3rd floor of the Eaton Centre. You don't have what you would call a flagship store anywhere in the Greater Toronto Area. All of them are in mall stores and the downtown store is the only one accessible to people who live downtown and don't drive.
This has been developing into a problem because the growing volume of Apple customers living and working downtown has lead to that one store becoming unable to handle Genius appointments. The Eaton Centre store's Genius Bar no longer works as intended. If you have a problem, you cannot get an appointment sometimes for weeks. I'm sure that's not what Steve envisioned when the Genius Bar set the template for excellent customer service and I'm sure you'll agree that many of us couldn't live without our Mac or iPhone for such an extended period of time.
Apple has deservedly built a reputation for the best customer service going on several years now but the incomprehensible delay in opening a flagship store in downtown Toronto is rapidly compromising that reputation.
I know you don't talk about future stores but please tell Torontonians that you have some relief coming soon. Why no flagship Apple store in Toronto? Yorkville (our 5th Avenue), Bay Street (our Wall Street), Queen West (our Soho) and Union Station are all excellent locations where Torontonians would be so pleased to visit a shiny flagship Apple store.
Thanks for your time Tim. I'm eager to hear from you.
Hi Tim, I'm emailing you with a concern that I think requires your attention since you have taken on overseeing retail.
Toronto, Canada's largest city, the 4th largest in North America and no doubt a large market for Apple has only ever had one downtown mall store that is in a small space on the 3rd floor of the Eaton Centre. You don't have what you would call a flagship store anywhere in the Greater Toronto Area. All of them are in mall stores and the downtown store is the only one accessible to people who live downtown and don't drive.
This has been developing into a problem because the growing volume of Apple customers living and working downtown has lead to that one store becoming unable to handle Genius appointments. The Eaton Centre store's Genius Bar no longer works as intended. If you have a problem, you cannot get an appointment sometimes for weeks. I'm sure that's not what Steve envisioned when the Genius Bar set the template for excellent customer service and I'm sure you'll agree that many of us couldn't live without our Mac or iPhone for such an extended period of time.
Apple has deservedly built a reputation for the best customer service going on several years now but the incomprehensible delay in opening a flagship store in downtown Toronto is rapidly compromising that reputation.
I know you don't talk about future stores but please tell Torontonians that you have some relief coming soon. Why no flagship Apple store in Toronto? Yorkville (our 5th Avenue), Bay Street (our Wall Street), Queen West (our Soho) and Union Station are all excellent locations where Torontonians would be so pleased to visit a shiny flagship Apple store.
Thanks for your time Tim. I'm eager to hear from you.
Johnny Au
Senior Member
Thank you MetroMan.
I am just as concerned as you are. Yes, there is a "flagship" Apple Store in Yorkdale, but it is considered "suburban" and is quite small, compared with most other flagship stores. I live very close to Yorkdale (which is my primary Apple Store location; the Eaton Centre is my secondary location). There are actually no Apple Stores in Scarborough. Apple, if they are wise, should open a second location in Downtown Toronto, as well as in Scarborough Town Centre.
I agree with you that the Eaton Centre location is woefully inadequate. It is always crowded (in fact, it has no slow days).
I am just as concerned as you are. Yes, there is a "flagship" Apple Store in Yorkdale, but it is considered "suburban" and is quite small, compared with most other flagship stores. I live very close to Yorkdale (which is my primary Apple Store location; the Eaton Centre is my secondary location). There are actually no Apple Stores in Scarborough. Apple, if they are wise, should open a second location in Downtown Toronto, as well as in Scarborough Town Centre.
I agree with you that the Eaton Centre location is woefully inadequate. It is always crowded (in fact, it has no slow days).
taal
Senior Member
Ha ! I you get a reply do share : )
khris
Senior Member
The comparisons to NYC were totally not necessary.
Johnny Au
Senior Member
Exactly. It reminded me of this: http://incompetech.com/gallimaufry/toronto.html (yes, Kevin MacLeod made Toronto-New York comparisons when he was not composing music)
Why no comparisons to New York? Because you think it signals insecurity on the part of the Torontonian writer? Nope, it strikes me as insecurity to worry about it. Why care if there are comparisons?
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MetroMan
Senior Member
Perhaps they weren't necessary but for all I know, Tim isn't familiar with Toronto and if I was mentioning names, I wanted to emphasize the character of each area and bridge them with neighbourhoods that he is familiar with. The point is to underscore how silly it is that none of these areas in Toronto has an Apple store, not to play a retail scout for the company as I'm sure there are plenty qualified professionals in the company who are no doubt familiar with Toronto.
Torontovibe
Senior Member
Apple needs a new store. I have had terrible experiences in the Eaton Centre store and I will not even go into it now. It's just too much of a madhouse for me. It's also a really crappy store, design wise.
Johnny Au
Senior Member
Hazelton Lanes can be home to an Apple Store in Yorkville to alleviate pressure from its Eaton Centre location.
onetimetoomany
New Member
Hey MetroMan did you ever get a response?
picard102
Senior Member
I'm sure the "Steve would xyz" endeared him.
taal
Senior Member
Johnny Au
Senior Member
I hope that it is more than just a rumour. I am waiting for Apple to say something first. If Apple says something, then it would show up on MacRumors.
taal
Senior Member
Its retail insider though ... they're usually spot on ...
But I hope it IS A RUMOR ... this is the old ROOTS location, it'd only be 15,000 square feet or so; Isn't that small for a flahship ???? Also, they don't have room to building anything too interesting, rather the simple cube.
But I hope it IS A RUMOR ... this is the old ROOTS location, it'd only be 15,000 square feet or so; Isn't that small for a flahship ???? Also, they don't have room to building anything too interesting, rather the simple cube.