Apple on Wednesday offered a sneak peek at Apple Changsha, the company’s first retail outlet to open China’s Hunan province.
Located in the Changsha IFS shopping mall, Apple’s latest storefront features all the trappings of a modern Apple Store and a few unique touches like a double-height facade with a “completely new” gradient frit and mirrored coating.
The tall glass panels manufacturing in Tianjin, China, feature a blurred transition from translucent to opaque and shift in appearance as the day progresses. Seasons also affect the facade’s look, Apple says, adding that Apple Changsha is the first to receive the treatment.
Inside, visitors will immediately enter the Forum, where a freestanding video wall is ready present Today at Apple sessions. Apple’s trademark wooden display tables surround the forum and are flanked by “avenues” filled with accessories.
Free-roaming specialists and Geniuses offer help to customers throughout the store, including a section with tables and seating. Nearly 100 retail team members man the location and collectively speak a variety of languages including Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean and French.
“We are thrilled to be opening in Changsha, a community filled with creativity and profound cultural heritage,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail + People. “So many of our team members already call Hunan province home, and they are ready to welcome and support their neighborhood at Apple Changsha.”
Apple Changsha opens Saturday, Sept. 4, at 10 a.m. local time. Like other Apple Stores around the world, the Changsha outlet will adhere to COVID-19 protocols that include a mask requirement, temperature checks and social distancing.