Apple reportedly is putting the final touches on a deal that would open a retail location near the Kremlin in Moscow. The 16,000-square-foot site would be in a historic Red Square hotel alongside an international restaurant and gallery.
Although no contract has been signed, two executives from the Cupertino, Calif. company visited Moscow in March to review the two-story space in Hotel Moskva and a decision is expected soon, according to a news site which tracks Apple’s retail moves. If a deal is inked, the location would be the first Apple Store in any of the former Soviet Union republics.
Apple’s attention has largely been on getting a foothold in China. Russia, however, could be the target of the company’s next international push. The iPhone maker reportedly sold 1.8 million of its handsets to Russian fans.
In other retail news, Apple is readying an October launch of its second Utah store. The firm is planning to open a store within the Murray, Ut. Fashion Place mall, just eight miles from another Apple location in Salt Lake City, according to ifoAppleStore.
