Rumors of Massive Apple Retail Store for Paris as Virgin Vacates Prime Location - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Rumors of Massive Apple Retail Store for Paris as Virgin Vacates Prime Location

Business Insider points to a report [Google translation] from French newspaper Le Figaro noting that Virgin will be vacating its landmark retail store on Champs-Élysées in Paris and that Apple is one of the primary candidates rumored to be interested in taking the spot.

virgin megastore paris
Interior of Virgin Megastore on Champs-Élysées (Source: Flickr/Ju_li_a)

The entire Virgin store checks in at roughly 75,000 square feet, with nearly 50,000 square feet of it dedicated to the sales floor. Apple's largest flagship retail stores at Regent Street and Covent Garden in London currently offer roughly 25,000 square feet of space, and while Apple could presumably opt to take only a portion of Virgin's space at the Paris location if it is indeed interested, the space certainly would give Apple an opportunity to build by far its largest retail store in a very prominent location.

It is also interesting to note a report from Hardmac claiming that Apple CEO Tim Cook was in Paris earlier this week for unknown reasons. There is obviously no specific evidence tying his rumored presence to the Virgin store vacancy, but those hoping that Apple might pursue the project are welcome to speculate about whether he may have been in town to personally survey the site amid other company business.

Popular Stories

iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

Apple Preparing 'Most Significant Overhaul in the iPhone's History'

Sunday March 29, 2026 8:18 am PDT by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has high expectations for Apple's first foldable iPhone. In his Power On newsletter today, he said the foldable iPhone will be "the most significant overhaul in the iPhone's history." "iPhone 4, iPhone 6 and iPhone X were clearly a big deal, but this is a whole new design," he said. Like Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7, the foldable iPhone will reportedly open up like ...
Apple Event Logo

Apple to Launch These 15+ New Products Later This Year

Friday March 27, 2026 2:03 pm PDT by
March has been an incredibly busy month for Apple, with the company unveiling more than 10 new products and accessories. We said hello to the MacBook Neo at the start of the month, and we bid farewell to the Mac Pro at the end of it. Nevertheless, there is still a lot more to come this year. Beyond the usual annual updates to iPhones and Apple Watches, Apple's all-new smart home hub is...
Apple Apps Grid

Apple Releasing Two New iPhone Apps This Year

Saturday March 28, 2026 8:00 am PDT by
Apple is expected to release two new iPhone apps this year, including an Apple Business app and a Siri app with chatbot-like functionality. With the Apple Business app, employees at businesses using the new Apple Business platform will be able to install apps for work, view contact information for colleagues, and request support. Apple Business is launching on April 14, and it replaces Apple ...

Top Rated Comments

Diode Avatar
184 months ago
Kinda amusing they could be taking over the space of an industry they helped kill (record stores).
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Consultant Avatar
184 months ago
I'm surprised that this Virgin store lasted this long.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jobsian Avatar
184 months ago
Beautiful location!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
3N16MA Avatar
184 months ago
Here is my quarterly post asking for a flagship store in Toronto.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
184 months ago
Apple couldn't fill that location with unique products if it tried. 1 table, 1 iPhone, 3 laptops, and 3 desktops. Not to mention there is practically 0 software sold anymore at Apple stores in the USA. Even the Accessories are barely in the stores.

Now, maybe Apple wants to fill the location with 500 tablets or something...but overall I think it would be a waste of space/money unless the price was superb.

The past 3 Apple stores I've walked into (2 in MA 1 in CT) feel like I could drive a small truck between each table...nice layout, nice colors, very clean...but feels really empty in regards to products.

Apple certainly has the money to pay for the Paris real estate...but I wonder how empty it would feel product-wise.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
69650 Avatar
184 months ago
It's a beautiful building inside. Very Apple. I used to shop there all the time when I lived in Paris. It's a local landmark and situated in a very prestigious location.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)