Apple Store Modernization Efforts Continue From Los Angeles to London - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Store Modernization Efforts Continue From Los Angeles to London

Apple's process of modernizing its chain of over 500 retail stores continues in several major cities around the world.

Over the weekend, Apple celebrated the grand opening of its relocated Beverly Center store in Los Angeles. Apple's original store in the shopping mall, opened November 2005, permanently closed at the end of Friday.

apple beverly center

Apple's new Beverly Center store via Instagram

Apple's remodeled stores often gain additional square footage to accommodate an increased number of both products and customers. The extra space is also beneficial to Today at Apple sessions related to photography, coding, exercising with the Apple Watch, and other topics.

Apple's latest retail design, introduced in 2015, typically includes large glass doors, large video screens for product marketing and in-store events, and sequoia wood shelves on the walls for accessories.

Apple recently announced that its flagship Covent Garden store in London will be closed starting June 27 to allow for renovations to be completed. Of note, this location became Apple's largest store when it first opened in 2010, although it has since ceded the title to a newer store in the United Arab Emirates.

apple covent garden sign

A sign at Apple Covent Garden tipped by a MacRumors reader

Likewise, 9to5Mac's Michael Steeber reported that Apple Wangfujing in Beijing will be closed for renovations starting June 24.

Elsewhere in the Greater China region, Apple has revealed that it will be opening a second store in Macau, along the Cotai Strip, an area with several hotels, casinos, and resorts, earning it the nickname of the Las Vegas of Asia. Apple has yet to specify an exact opening date, but it could be within the next month.

image3

Apple's banner for its second store in Macau via MacRumors reader Chris Gooda

Apple's renovation efforts continue at its iconic Fifth Avenue store in Manhattan, and at its Palo Alto store, often visited by Apple CEO Tim Cook on product launch days due to its close proximity to Apple's headquarters.

fifth ave cube reinstalled

Apple reinstalling its glass cube on Fifth Avenue via MacRumors reader David Bills

Other regional stores closed for renovations include locations in Charlotte, Nashville, and Westchester County north of New York City.

Update: As noted by a MacRumors reader, Apple Causeway Bay in Hong Kong is also undergoing renovations, although the store remains open.

Update 2: Apple has announced on its store page for the Cotai Central location in Macau that the grand opening will be June 29.

Popular Stories

2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Stores Reportedly Rolling Out New Anti-Theft System for iPhones

Sunday October 25, 2026 8:18 am PDT by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today reported that Apple is facing a growing problem where some people will buy iPhones or other products and either remove accessories from the box, open up the device and remove components, and/or remove the entire device, and then attempt to return the box hoping that the employee will not notice. When a customer seeks to return an iPhone, he said that Apple's...
iphone duo feature

Apple Says iPhone Duo Not Available on Walk-In Basis in Three Countries

Monday October 19, 2026 11:00 am PDT by
For a limited time, the iPhone Duo and the iPhone 18 Pro Max will be limited to customers with a pickup reservation at Apple Stores in Japan, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates, according to notices posted on Apple's localized websites for those countries. The notices suggest that the iPhone Duo will not be available for walk-in customers at Apple's retail locations in Japan, South...
hero medium 2x feature1

Apple Store Pickup System for iPhone Duo Just Went Live Again in U.S. and Canada

Saturday October 24, 2026 5:12 am PDT by
The option to reserve an iPhone Duo for Apple Store pickup resumed in the U.S. and Canada between 5:10 a.m. and 5:15 a.m. Pacific Time today, but inventory is extremely limited, with most stores having no pickup slots available today. To search for iPhone Duo availability at your local Apple Stores: head to the iPhone Duo order page, select your desired color and storage and so forth,...

Top Rated Comments

109 months ago
apple's product changes have been so miniscule in the past years that the value of these stores has decreased significantly. for me it is basically zero.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
109 months ago
You can tell its modern by how white the walls are and how little products are on display.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
109 months ago
Great products mean great sales, period. "Innovation" can be garbage too. Innovation doesn't necessarily make a great product.

A few innovative items:

* iPhone X
* Airpods
* Apple Watch with cellular
* A-Series Silicon
* FaceID
* Privacy/Security (Bugs are fixed, don't start saying these aren't industry leading)

Mac innovation isn't going to be as obvious because the product life cycle is longer and the size of the business is relatively smaller. Computers/Laptops are going to get updated processors and software, but they aren't going to move as fast as mobile and wearables.

I think Apple has done a phenomenal job managing the business. You don't innovate so fast that you lose sales. You slowly release features and market them to maximize sales. That's business. It's working, btw. If people buy and are satisfied with incremental innovations, it is smarter to release them as needed and when the features are fully vetted...not just innovating to innovate.
And to that I'd add MBPs with four ports of prodigious bandwidth multipurpose 40 Gb/sec Thunderbolt 3, 5K iMac displays with DCI-P3 color gamut, iMac Pro, Homepod, and ARKit.

In many ways, Apple is beholden to Intel. I suspect that will change within the next two years.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BrettArchibald Avatar
109 months ago
You can tell its modern by how white the walls are and how little products are on display.
"How white the walls are..." :rolleyes:

Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
109 months ago
I guess you haven't really paid attention to all the changes they've made or they aren't valuable to you? Doesn't mean the changes have been "miniscule" to others or that the value of the stores has decreased.

The entire company is more valuable today than ever before, so it kind of refutes your thesis.
The value of the company and how good it's products are aren't mutually inclusive. matt_and_187_like_this ('https://forums.macrumors.com/members/matt_and_187_like_this.1007624/') is correct that Apple's product changes especially in regards to Mac have been demonstrably non-innovative and utterly lackluster since the round Mac Pro came out in 2013.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BrettArchibald Avatar
109 months ago
That's the store that hasn't been done yet. The Covent Garden Store, which IMO is FAR superior to the extremely sterile product-vacuum over on Regent St.

This upcoming refurb is a shame, because I've been using Covent Garden pretty much exclusively for the past couple of years, even though I work at the western end of Soho. I don't like the new design.
Yep, I know it's the Covent Garden store. I used to work in Covent Garden a few years ago.
I like the Apple Store there. It's quirky and has character, but I'll admit, it's not a very "Apple-like character"...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
HomeView Pre-Order Returns to $289.99 on Amazon
HomeView Pre-Order Returns to $289.99 on Amazon
3 minutes ago
Apple Avoids Showing Pinched Fingers on iPad Mini Page in South Korea
Apple Avoids Showing Pinched Fingers on iPad Mini Page in South Korea
6 minutes ago
Old 'Popcorn Time' App Left Hundreds of Thousands of Macs at Risk
Old 'Popcorn Time' App Left Hundreds of Thousands of Macs at Risk
2 hours ago
You Can Turn Off the New MacBook Pro's Touchscreen Functionality
You Can Turn Off the New MacBook Pro's Touchscreen Functionality
2 hours ago
MacBook Pro Mini-LED vs. OLED Buyer's Guide: Every Difference
MacBook Pro Mini-LED vs. OLED Buyer's Guide: Every Difference
3 hours ago
Where to Pre-Order Apple's New MacBooks, iPad Mini, and iMac
Where to Pre-Order Apple's New MacBooks, iPad Mini, and iMac
4 hours ago
Apple Releasing HomePod Mini 2 Tomorrow With These New Features
Apple Releasing HomePod Mini 2 Tomorrow With These New Features
6 hours ago
How macOS Adapts Its Controls for Touch on the New MacBook Pro
How macOS Adapts Its Controls for Touch on the New MacBook Pro
6 hours ago
Just Got an iPhone Duo? Try These Features First
Just Got an iPhone Duo? Try These Features First
8 hours ago
Apple Announced Scott Forstall's Departure 14 Years Ago Today
Apple Announced Scott Forstall's Departure 14 Years Ago Today
9 hours ago
Best Buy Opens Pre-Orders for PROLED XDR MacBook Pro With $100 Bonus Gift Cards
Best Buy Opens Pre-Orders for PROLED XDR MacBook Pro With $100 Bonus Gift Cards
20 hours ago
Here's Everything Apple Announced This Week
Here's Everything Apple Announced This Week
20 hours ago
Here's a Real-World Look at the New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
Here's a Real-World Look at the New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
21 hours ago
How Accurate Were Rumors About Apple's OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro?
How Accurate Were Rumors About Apple's OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro?
21 hours ago
Apple Has 8 New Products Available for Pre-Order
Apple Has 8 New Products Available for Pre-Order
22 hours ago
iPhone Duo: Turn the Hinge Into an App Launcher
iPhone Duo: Turn the Hinge Into an App Launcher
23 hours ago
OLED MacBook Pro vs. Mini-LED MacBook Pro: Size and Weight Compared
OLED MacBook Pro vs. Mini-LED MacBook Pro: Size and Weight Compared
1 day ago
Best Buy Offering Up to $100 Gift Cards With iPad Mini 8 and M6 MacBook Pro Pre-Orders
Best Buy Offering Up to $100 Gift Cards With iPad Mini 8 and M6 MacBook Pro Pre-Orders
1 day ago
Adding Touch Didn't Cost the MacBook Pro Any Battery Life
Adding Touch Didn't Cost the MacBook Pro Any Battery Life
1 day ago
Apple Releases Redesigned Mac Chargers and 'World Travel Adapter Kit'
Apple Releases Redesigned Mac Chargers and 'World Travel Adapter Kit'
1 day ago
Apple Executives Explain Why the MacBook Pro Finally Has a Touch Screen
Apple Executives Explain Why the MacBook Pro Finally Has a Touch Screen
1 day ago
New MacBook Pro Features Deeper Bass and Improved Closed-Lid Audio
New MacBook Pro Features Deeper Bass and Improved Closed-Lid Audio
1 day ago
New MacBook Pro Offers Up to 16TB of Storage, Double Previous Limit
New MacBook Pro Offers Up to 16TB of Storage, Double Previous Limit
1 day ago
Apple's New Touchscreen MacBook Pro Costs Up to $14,549
Apple's New Touchscreen MacBook Pro Costs Up to $14,549
1 day ago
Apple Brings Dynamic Island to Mac for the First Time
Apple Brings Dynamic Island to Mac for the First Time
1 day ago
Mac Studio With M5 Ultra Now Available With 512GB RAM for $22,299
Mac Studio With M5 Ultra Now Available With 512GB RAM for $22,299
1 day ago
Illuminated Apple Logo Returns to MacBook Pro After 10 Years
Illuminated Apple Logo Returns to MacBook Pro After 10 Years
1 day ago
Apple Announces OLED MacBook Pro With Touch Display
Apple Announces OLED MacBook Pro With Touch Display
1 day ago
Apple Store Down Ahead of 'Pro and Tell' Launch Today
Apple Store Down Ahead of 'Pro and Tell' Launch Today
1 day ago
South Korea Rules Against Apple Over App Store Payment Rules
South Korea Rules Against Apple Over App Store Payment Rules
1 day ago