As most people know, I’m a staunch advocate of Apple and the Mac OS X. And I’ve been fairly happy with the emergence of the Apple Store locations around the country. Currently, there are four of them withing a short-ish drive or Metro ride from downtown D.C.
D.C., itself, is brimming with Mac users. Washington Apple Pi is one of the largest Macintosh user groups in the world, and nary a day goes by that you don’t see people with iBooks and PowerBooks at cafés throughout the District.
So why is it that Apple is unwilling to open an Apple Store in the District, while they’re willing to open a third store in Northern Virginia (Pentagon City, to be specific) while ignoring D.C.? It would seem that Apple is unwilling to join in the resurgent retail scene in the District, and it’s a shame.
While the traditional instinct is to say “people in D.C. are willing to commute to the ‘burbs, but people from the ‘burbs aren’t willing to come into the District,” I just can’t see that holding true for too much longer. It’s true that D.C. sales tax is higher than Virginia’s or Maryland’s, it’s not enough to make a huge impact on total prices for goods that aren’t expendables (e.g. food, petrol). The District has a wealth of target customers in its boundaries, including 7 universities, federal agencies, non-profits and tech companies, as well as individuals who are sick and tired of the Microsoft virus shuffle. I’m sure that most – if not all – of these parties would prefer having a source for their computers and iPods within the District, rather than in the outlying ‘burbs.
There are plenty of locations in D.C. that would make fantastic locations for an Apple Store. The Gallery Place district has quite a few open (and new) retail spaces that are seeing increased traffic since the completion of the MCI Center and the Regal Cinemas. The surrounding environs have seen more growth as well, with H&M, Landmark E Street Cinemas, the Spy Museum and other places that are bringing lots of people basck downtown – even people from the ‘burbs.
So Apple, if you are reading this: grow a spine and put an Apple Store in downtown D.C. You won’t regret it!
Alison
12 May 2005 — 14:30
You have GOT to be kidding, we live in the suburbs for a reason and that reason is we do not want to come into DC. Where would we park our SUVs?
forepac
13 May 2005 — 09:55
Man, I hope that’s sarcasm. I think it’s only a matter of time, really, before DC gets an Apple Store – just be patient, my son. Boston is in the same boat – no Apple Store in Boston proper, but there’s a nice one in Cambridge, which, conveniently, is very close to my apartment!