Two large storefronts on floors 1 and 2 with curved, sweeping facades are currently unmarked on the mall’s directory and completely covered by temporary white walls. The expansion’s east side openings feel like the best solution. Walking the north wing and browsing the mall’s directory, I tried to decide which vacant space would be the best fit for Apple. Vacancies may quickly fill if construction plans pan out for an additional 1 million square-foot addition adjacent to the north wing dubbed “ The Collections at MOA.” Triple Five Group has also submitted plans for a $150 million to $200 million waterpark nearby. Several restaurants line the third floor corridor. A two-floor Zara store and a ground level Anthropologie location are the wing’s only major tenants, with a massive H&M move scheduled for this fall. Mall representative Liz McLay even noted that luxury “definitely has a place at the table.”Īs of today, much of the north wing remains empty, since the expansion was built before securing leases. Mall of America’s owner, Triple Five Group, has targeted a more premium mix of brands for the three-stories of retail space. More than just an expansion, the wing has been positioned as the mall’s new entrance and is the preferred location for Lyft and Uber drop-offs. With terrazzo floors and a brighter, cleaner look, the addition almost feels designed to lure Apple. Completed at the end of 2015, the $325 million project known as “ Mall of America Crossings” is the newest and most impressive addition to the mall.
At first, nothing in particular stood out to me. Panorama of MoA’s north wing taken from the second level escalator bay.Īs I continued my tour of the mall, I found myself daydreaming about a more fitting space for a new Apple store. It’s certainly not a space worthy of one of the largest and busiest shopping centers in the country. Standard painted drywall, worn out fixtures, and a cramped footprint don’t convey the awe-inspiring attention to detail Apple’s new stores are known for. In fact, every other Apple store in Minnesota boasts significantly nicer facilities. While an early remodel removed the original black facade and another in 2009 swapped out the store’s theater for a more modern Genius Bar, little else has changed.Īpple’s existing vintage store at Mall of America.Īs it stands today, Mall of America’s store is one of Apple’s least impressive, overshadowed by nearly every other major brand in the mall including Microsoft’s knockoff store just across the hall. This is partially due to the fact that the location dates back to August 11, 2001, making it Apple’s fourth store to open worldwide. Located on the South Avenue of the first floor, the space is centrally located near a mall entrance and the Nickelodeon Universe center court, but lacks any special details that make it stand out from other shops along the way.
I recently visited Mall of America for the first time in several years, and Apple’s store was the first I stopped at. Surprisingly, one of the last early stores remaining relatively unchanged and in dire need of expansion is located in Bloomington’s Mall of America. The majority of these refreshed stores have been among the earliest opened, some dating back to the start of Apple’s in-house retail efforts in 2001.
Since the introduction of a new retail design language in 2015, Apple has remodeled or moved well over 60 of its existing stores in order to better serve the growing demand for Apple products and customer support.
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