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GrandCentral

At 100, Grand Central still bursting with secrets

When one of the most famous buildings, let alone the busiest train terminal in the world, turns 100, a lot of people stand up and take notice.

So it should come as no surprise that on its 100th birthday today, the world celebrated the grandeur of Grand Central Terminal, New York's shining beacon to public transportation, still vital and busy after all these years.

In 2010, I had the privilege of visiting Grand Central and getting a behind-the-scenes look at some of its greatest secrets, and some of its most awe-inspiring views. Given the opportunity to look out over … Read more

Unboxing the third-generation Apple iPad

We've already seen an unboxing video from CNET Australia, thanks to that country's envious position as the first across the International Dateline into tomorrow. Now it's time for New York to get in on the act, along with rest of the eastern United States.

Rather than wait for the FedEx delivery person (and we're still waiting...), we jogged down to the new Grand Central Station Apple store, where it took only a few minutes and a wrist band to get our hands on a 64GB AT&T third-generation iPad.

The box and its contents will … Read more

Ethical-iPhone activists deliver petitions to Apple stores

NEW YORK--Activists hand-delivered petitions with a quarter of a million signatures to Apple's Grand Central Terminal flagship store in Manhattan today, reiterating its plea for the company to adopt more ethical standards for the creation of its popular products.

The activists, organized by watchdog groups SumofUS and Change.org, are calling for Apple to pressure its suppliers--particularly the ones in China--to improve the working conditions and follow the same standards it observes in the U.S. That includes being more transparent about its vendors and allowing third parties to audit the quality of the work environment.

Apple has faced … Read more

Apple Store workers bring in $278 per hour apiece

Apple prides itself on the skills of the people who staff its retail outlets, undoubtedly one factor that's helped turn the stores into huge moneymakers.

But how much in sales does each store employee actually generate? Market researcher Asymco thinks it has the answer.

Looking at Apple retail store data published by ifoAppleStore.com, Asymco analyst Horace Dediu determined that the stores bring in around $100,000 in sales per employee each quarter. For 2010 as a whole, revenue reached $481,000 per employee. This year, revenue so far is averaging around $320,000, though that figure doesn't … Read more

Apple confirms Grand Central store opening Friday

Apple confirmed today that it will open its Grand Central store Friday morning.

The store will have a unique look, integrating Apple's typically modern polish with the classic look of Grand Central station. It will occupy the east and northeast balconies of the terminal, overlooking the main concourse.

The store will almost certainly be considered Apple's flagship location in Manhattan, which already has four other eye-catching stores on Fifth Avenue, the Upper West Side, SoHo, and the Meatpacking District. The Grand Central store, however, is the only one with a guaranteed flow of consumer traffic as countless commuters … Read more

Apple teases its new NYC store--oh, and what's this about 3D iPads?

Apple took this week off as a company holiday, but that doesn't mean things stood still.

The week kicked off with a rumor that Apple was planning to open up its Grand Central Terminal retail store in New York in time for Black Friday, but that deadline came and passed. Not all was uneventful though--Apple put up a sign confirming that the store was "arriving soon."

The space is more than 23,000 square feet and stretches between two balconies. By comparison, Apple's Regent Street store in London is 25,000 square feet, 22,000 square … Read more

Apple's Grand Central store won't open by Black Friday

Grand Central Station commuters looking to score a holiday deal at Apple's imminent New York City store may have to wait a while.

Recent rumors had pegged the launch of the new Grand Central Terminal store for sometime this week as the holiday shopping season officially kicks into gear. But a construction worker reportedly confirmed to Mashable yesterday that Apple's latest store probably won't open for business until next month.

"It won't be any time too soon," the worker told Mashable. "We still have a lot to do, so my guess is that … Read more

The secret sauce to Apple's retail success? This man made it

As the former vice president of retail at Apple, Ron Johnson partnered with Steve Jobs to plan the first Apple store. Now the CEO of J.C. Penney, Johnson reveals why Apple stores work.

Writing about his efforts in fashioning the Apple store in a Harvard Business Review guest post, Johnson explained that a store has to do more than just offer products for sale. It has to create an experience--something that turns it into more than just a store.

"Any store has to provide products people want to buy," Johnson wrote. "That's a given. But … Read more

Apple's Grand Central store to open this week, report says

Apple's latest retail store in New York's iconic Grand Central Terminal may have its opening date announced tomorrow, with a launch by the end of this week, a new report says.

Without citing sources, 9to5mac says that Apple plans to literally take the wraps off the store's opening date tomorrow by uncloaking a massive sign affixed to its exterior (pictured above). The company is said to be stocking up the store with products in time for a launch as early as this Friday, to coincide with start of holiday-shopping season on Black Friday.

When reached for comment … Read more