Tuesday, Apr 25, 2017

Dubai

Journalists were given a sneak preview of the 495th Apple store at the Dubai Mall on Tuesday evening.

The US tech giant is officially opening its third retail store in the UAE, and the second in Dubai, only on Thursday.

It already operates outlets in Mall of the Emirates in Dubai and Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi.

The two malls have already attracted four million visitors in just 18 months, Wendy Beckman, senior director for Apple Retail EMEA, told journalists.

The new Dubai Mall outlet, facing the Dubai Fountain, features more than 150 products including Apple Watches, iPhones, MacBooks, Beats headphones, iPads, iMacs, Apple TVs and select third-party accessories.

Angela Ahrendts, Apple’s senior vice-president of retail, said that Apple has been piloting the hands-on sessions concept called ‘Today at Apple’ in San Francisco, New York, New Regent Street and in Dubai.

The new concept will be rolled out in Dubai on Thursday. Apple will be giving 60 different sessions, ranging in topics from photo and video to music, coding, art and design and more, in the two floors to entrepreneurs and customers every day.

The hands-on sessions will be led by highly-trained team members, artists, photographers and musicians, teaching sessions from basics and how-to lessons to professional-level programs.

Apple is targeting the country’s creative community with a tagline “Creativity. Connected.”

She said that Apple has 20,000 app developers in Dubai alone that partners with iOS. “We will also be teaching Swift, Apple’s programming language for iOS and Mac apps, to aspiring coders of all ages to learn how to code in,” she said.

Apple will be launching dozens of new educational sessions next month in all of its Apple stores. “At the heart of every Apple Store is the desire to educate and inspire the communities we serve. We’re creating a modern-day town square, where everyone is welcome in a space where the best of Apple comes together to connect with one another, discover a new passion, or take their skill to the next level,” she said.

The free programs focus on the features of Apple products customers love most, across all skill levels and ages.

For example, Ahrendts said that an iPhone user interested in photography can start with six ‘How To’ sessions that cover shooting, organising, editing, and more.

“More advanced photographers can join experiential Photo Walks that leave the store to dive into techniques including light and shadow, portraits and storytelling. Going further, a Photo Lab features accomplished photographers on topics such as capturing candids, building a brand on social media or simply sharing their perspective,” she said.

Sukhdev Singh, vice-president at market research and analysis services provider AMRB, said that it is a great move from Apple and the stores are not only meant for sales but also for developing brand interaction with consumers, holding workshops and servicing.

He said that opening of its third store in the UAE is justified by the demand for Apple products.

He added that what Apple is trying to do is build a “strong interaction” with consumers amid their [consumers] shift to e-commerce.

By Naushad K. Cherrayil Staff Reporter

Gulf News 2017. All rights reserved.