Apple Planning to Open Third Retail Store in Turkey in 2016

No offence to Turkey or the people living there, but is there really that much demand for Apple products there that there needs to be a third Apple store? Wouldn't it be better to focus on new countries first?

I am from istanbul and I can vouch for that that the demand here is very very high.

But the main reason is population, there are 17m people living in Istanbul and 2 stores are always overcrowded. And Genius appointments cannot be done since there are no free slots all year :/

The thinnest rollercoaster ever built!

Where design trumps engineering, functionality and safety :eek:

accidents happen ... if you're holding the wrong way! :D

I see plenty of bad CGIs in my office, but this one is ... unique.

It looks like The Sims.

Well first there is a massive shifting from once so popular and distinctively outnumbered premium retail stores and repair services to Apple Stores here in Istanbul for some reason since the opening.

And it is visible. You can see people piling up any day in both stores making huge lines standing, and even online services, it is sometimes impossible to get a reservation here.

If you don't have any reservation, you will be ignored on a busy day and find yourself vigorously trying to latch on one single person with Apple shirt to ask one simple question. Oh yes, it is wild here.

So yes, a third store here in Istanbul will certainly not be an overkill.

ağlatmışsın ingilizceyi kardeş..ağzına sağlık ;)

Next should be WORLD™, a Disney-esque amusement park with Apple rides and technology of all kinds.

The thinnest rollercoaster ever built!

No offence to Turkey or the people living there, but is there really that much demand for Apple products there that there needs to be a third Apple store? Wouldn't it be better to focus on new countries first?

Opening another store in a country is cheaper than opening the first one in a new country due to all of the regulations, language barriers, recruiting difficulties etc. Even different cities in the same state creates difficulties. IKEA did not open any stores in the Bay Area for years, even though it had multiple stores around Southern California.

Still, I agree, it is strange that Apple still does not have any stores in Vienna, Dublin or Singapore. Sales experience and after sale service is a big part of the value proposition of Apple, so it is amazing that Apple is able to sell as briskly as it does in places where it does not have any stores (or too few to make them practical options).

In any case, Istanbul is a very big town, with more people living there than the population of many European countries (Belgium, Greece, Norway, Switzerland etc.) It is also a popular tourist destination. Even though typical income level is not that high, enough people can afford Apple products that people stay up till midnight to see if they can get a Genius appointment, because all slots are taken a few minutes later.