Apple Planning Huge New Retail Store in the Heart of Madrid?

tio pepe madrid
Spanish newspaper El Pais reports [Google translation] that the mayor of Madrid has announced that Apple will occupy the entirety of a landmark building in the center of the city on the Puerta del Sol, snapping up 6,000 square meters (~65,000 square feet) of space. The building, famous for its large neon sign advertising popular sherry brand Tio Pepe that has temporarily been removed for restoration during the building's renovation, includes seven floors plus a basement and was built in 1863.

Apple's interest in the building is not new, but previous reports had suggested that Apple would occupy only the lower one or two floors with earlier hotel uses being maintained on the upper floors. Today's announcement reveals, however, that Apple, the building's owners, and the city have come together to forge an agreement that will see Apple taking the entire space.

It is unlikely that Apple will devote the entire seven floors to retail store space, presumably using some of the upper floors for office space to support the company's operations in the region, so it is currently unknown just how large the retail space will be. Apple's largest stores currently check in at up to around 25,000 square feet. Restoration work on the building is scheduled to wrap up by October or November of this year, with the Apple retail store opening at an unannounced date after that time.

Apple currently operates two retail stores in Spain, with one of them being a typical mall-based store located on the outskirts of Madrid.

Popular Stories

Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Event in October? Here's What to Expect

Monday September 29, 2025 9:31 am PDT by
Apple's annual iPhone event is in the rearview mirror, but rumors suggest the company plans to release a handful of additional products before the year ends. Will there be another Apple event this October? We discuss the possibility below. Apple in October Apple's most recent October events were in 2021 and 2023. In 2022 and 2024, Apple did not host an October event. Instead, it...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro teal 1

Apple's iPhone Driver's License Feature Now Available in 11 U.S. States

Tuesday September 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Apple recently revealed that the feature would soon be available in North Dakota, and starting today, the feature has officially gone...
space black mbp

Here's Every New Apple Product That Leaked Yesterday

Wednesday October 1, 2025 8:27 am PDT by
A handful of upcoming Apple products leaked yesterday, through a combination of YouTube videos out of Russia and U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) documents that were released, despite Apple's confidentiality requests. The leaked products include an iPad Pro with an M5 chip, as well as updated MacBook Pro and Apple Vision Pro models. All of these devices had already been rumored...
maxresdefault

New iPad Pro With M5 Chip Leaked in Unboxing Video

Tuesday September 30, 2025 8:39 am PDT by
An apparent unboxing video for an unannounced iPad Pro with the M5 chip was uploaded to YouTube today by Russian channel Wylsacom. The same YouTube account leaked the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip before it was announced by Apple last year, so this is likely a legitimate leak. Based on the box shown in the video, this appears to be a 13-inch iPad Pro with an M5 chip, 256GB of...
fcc vision pro leak

FCC Accidentally Leaks Apple's Next Vision Pro

Tuesday September 30, 2025 3:48 pm PDT by
The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has seemingly confirmed Apple's work on an updated version of the Vision Pro headset. One of several documents the FCC shared today references an Apple-designed "Head Mounted Device" with a model number of A3416. An included image confirms the device is a Vision Pro. The FCC's uploads are transmission tests, SAR test reports, and...
macbook pro prime day 2025

FCC Leaks Upcoming MacBook Pro and More

Tuesday September 30, 2025 1:58 pm PDT by
The United States Federal Communications Commission has confirmed Apple's work on a new version of the MacBook Pro and several other products, leaking details on the devices ahead of launch. The FCC published documents that reference model numbers that do not correspond with existing devices. A3434, for example, references an unreleased MacBook Pro, while other numbers are likely for...
iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Wednesday October 1, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, and Safari. More features and changes will follow in future versions,...
iPhone 17 vs Air and Pros Feature

New iPhones See 'Stronger Than Expected' Demand With One Exception

Thursday October 2, 2025 7:26 am PDT by
Nearly two weeks after the iPhone 17 series launched, analysts at investment banking firm Morgan Stanley said demand for the devices has been "modestly stronger than we originally expected," based on a combination of extended shipping estimates on Apple's online store and information it gathered from Apple's supply chain. There has been strong early demand for the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro,...
Apple 2025 Thumb 1

Apple's 2025 Product Roadmap: What's Still Coming

Wednesday October 1, 2025 3:56 pm PDT by
Apple's two big yearly events, WWDC and the iPhone launch, are done and over with, but there are still some new products that we're expecting to see before the end of the year. Apple TV The Apple TV hasn't been updated since 2022, so it's due for a refresh. It doesn't look like Apple is going to change the design of its set-top box, but we can expect a faster chip Apple code suggests...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.0.1 With Fixes for Wi-Fi, Cellular, and Camera Issues on iPhone 17 Models

Monday September 29, 2025 10:12 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 26.0.1 and iPadOS 26.0.1, the first updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out earlier this week. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes for the update, iOS 26.0.1 addresses a bug that could cause aberrations in...

Top Rated Comments

javi.mahai Avatar
188 months ago
I am even more surprised to see Apple considering the opening of a store in Spain, one of the world champions of unemployment and recession - there are surely many other areas in a number of developed and emerging markets with MUCH higher purchasing power...Spain is not one of them.

Spain has also one of the 12 largest economies in the world. And yes, their economy is in a recession. But I guess Apple should have also frozen their store openings in the USA since we also are going through a recession and are going through a relatively high (historically) unemployment rate.

Recessions and economic downturns are a great time for corporations with cash to expand and increase market share/presence. Among other things, because property and assets are much cheaper than when the economy is booming. If the Spanish economy was going at full speed now, that place in the center of madrid would cost orders of magnitude more. As it is, Apple is getting a great real estate deal, in the center of one of Wester Europe's largest cities.


p.s.: No offense, I love visiting Madrid - but it was more of a question on the best places for prospective Apple Stores...

Yawn, these "no offense, I have nothing against (insert minority name here), I have a friend who is (minority name), I just don't want a (minority name) dating my daughter" arguments are such a predictable chickeshit way of trying to get away with BS.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NebulaClash Avatar
188 months ago
Ole! And I don't mean Object Linking and Embeddding.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kaibelf Avatar
188 months ago
Apple has only a handful of retail outlets in major European cities, and each one is usually in a particularly historic and beautiful building, which they go to great lengths to maintain aesthetically. The Paris store, for example, is unlike any of the mall-like stores that you may find in an American suburb. That in itself makes it a big event. Huge store, special location.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
potatis Avatar
188 months ago
why not transform Valley of the Fallen to an Apple retail store?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Darth.Titan Avatar
188 months ago
I do not believe that Tio Pepe will be returning...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coder12 Avatar
188 months ago
Me gusta! :cool:
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)