Considering that the Apple Watch goes on sale in a little over one month, Apple has still provided relatively few details about how exactly it’s going to be selling its upscale wearable devices.
Some images posted by Japanese Apple blog Macotakara offer a few hints, however. The photos show an Apple Watch booth or mini-store at the upmarket Isetan department store in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The sign reads “WATCH: Coming Soon.”
The mini store is listed on the mall directory, showing all branded stores, which suggests that this could be a permanent arrangement rather than just a temporary pop-up store.
Rather than being grouped with tech products, the Apple Watch is being sold close to a Cartier section of the store, in addition to other branded sections selling high-end jewellery goods such as Tiffany’s.
Selling at the Shinjuku Isetan store is a smart move for Apple. As the company’s flagship store, it is considered to be among the most influential department stores in Japan — with the fashion floor particularly renowned for showing off new trends which go on to take the country by storm. In other words, it’s an extension of the same strategy that saw the Apple Watch receive spreads in the world’s most exclusive fashion publications.
While the Apple Watch won’t go on sale until April 24, the showroom is apparently set to offer previews and preorders from April 10. According to The Verge, other pop-up shops selling the Apple Watch are set to open at Selfridges in London and Galeries Lafayette in Paris, while other retail locations will include Paris’ Colette, Los Angeles’ Maxfield, Berlin’s The Corner, and Dover Street Market in London.
Set your watches now!
