Hundreds of tech fans gathered in Tsim Sha Tsui this morning as Hong Kong’s fourth Apple store was unveiled on Canton Road.
Long queues stretched around the block to Haiphong Road with some shoppers saying they had been waiting in line since Wednesday night.
As the store opened its doors at 9am, staff and customers chanted “Canton Road” and “Apple Apple Apple!”. Shoppers shared high fives and hugs with employees as they entered.
Clapping and cheering on Canton Road as a new Apple store opens in Tsim Sha Tsui. @HongKongFP pic.twitter.com/13kzJ9HD7S
— Tom Grundy (@tomgrundy) July 30, 2015
Featuring floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the store is the first in the city to be designed by Foster + Partners, who are also behind the company’s new headquarters in California. Its facade features the biggest single glass panels in the world, standing at 13.7 metres.
Inside, 264 iPads, iPhones, Macs, Apple Watches and iPods are available for customers to experience hands-on. A team of 280 employees have been hired, 70 per cent of whom have worked at another Apple store previously.
Sporting an Apple t-shirt he made himself, one 62-year-old fan, who identified himself as Mr Chiu, said, “The first time, I stayed two nights at the IFC mall. I was the fourth to enter the shop. Today, I am shooting 3D video -I’ve been an Apple fan since 1976.”
24-year-old Jacqueline, an Apple employee from the Festival Walk store in Kowloon Tong, said: “It’s one of the most amazing moments of my career. I never got so many hugs in my life.”
Howie Ing, a freelance Web designer, 27, said he “couldn’t sleep last night” because he was so excited. However, he said he did not intend to buy anything today.
Around 20 police officers were present, along with three police vans and dozens of Apple security personnel.
When asked to discuss Apple’s security deployment for the event, HKFP was told, “none of your business” by one of the company’s risk contractors.
Amid religious chanting of ‘Canton Road’, Hong Kong’s latest Apple store opens for business. pic.twitter.com/o5IsksUVU9
— Tom Grundy (@tomgrundy) July 30, 2015
Apple plans to offer special events this year such as a summer camp for kids, musical performances and presentations from local developers.
Additional reporting by Tom Grundy.
