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 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
macbook pro blue green

M5 MacBook Pro No Longer Coming in 2025

Thursday July 10, 2025 12:38 pm PDT by
Apple does not plan to refresh any Macs with updated M5 chips in 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are now planned for the first half of 2026. Gurman previously said that Apple would debut the M5 MacBook Pro models in late 2025, but his newest report suggests that Apple is "considering" pushing them back to 2026. Apple is now said to be...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 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. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iPhone 17 Air Colors Thumb 2

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air Rumored to Come in These 9 Colors

Friday July 11, 2025 12:30 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air will be available in a total of nine color options, according to new information coming out of Asia. The iPhone 17 Air's expected color options. According to the leaker going by the account name "yeux1122" on the Korean blog Naver, accessory manufacturers are now producing camera protector rings for the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air in colors to match their...

Top Rated Comments

Diode Avatar
174 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
174 months ago
I'm surprised that this Virgin store lasted this long.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jobsian Avatar
174 months ago
Beautiful location!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
3N16MA Avatar
174 months ago
Here is my quarterly post asking for a flagship store in Toronto.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ericinboston Avatar
174 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
174 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)