SVP of Retail Angela Ahrendts made her first official public appearance as an Apple executive at the Friday opening of Apple’s tony new store in Tokyo, Japan.
Ahrendts posed for photos with fans who had turned up to see the opening of the upscale Omotesando Apple Store. Other Apple execs at the event included Retail Real Estate and Development Vice President Bob Bridger, Worldwide Apple Retail International sales VP Steve Cano and Online Stores VPs Jennifer Bailey and Bob Kupbens.
Employees at the new Apple Store handed out commemorative T-shirts emblazoned with the same green, leafy Apple logo seen on the store’s barricades during its construction. The building draws on the same glass-box design aesthetic used by other Apple retail stores around the world, although it has the unique touch of a green curtain of foliage that drapes the rear concrete wall, designed to shield the building from sunlight during peak hours — which saves money on keeping everything cool.
A slideshow video of the opening can be seen below:
As Apple’s ninth retail outlet in Japan, the Omotesando Apple Store should help continue the company’s impressive expansion in the country — which presently means holding around 50 percent market share in the smartphone category.
New retail boss Ahrendts finally started at Apple in early May, being awarded stock options valued at $68 million as part of her welcoming package. Given her role, she will likely be a key fixture at Apple Store openings going forward.
Source: Mac Otakara
