Apple Store Opening Day - Memphis - GermanTown

It was time to do something foolish.

Sometimes foolish can be fun if careful plans are crafted. Leaving small town USA and driving 4 hours to get a free t-shirt from Apple Computer is foolish. Leaving small town USA and driving 4 hours through heavy rain mostly in the dark to get a free t-shirt from Apple Computer is insane.

We left at 5 a.m.	Arriving an hour early, maybe twenty people were waiting	The crowd grows	and grows	40-60 umbrellas and 50-100 people turned out in a downpour.
These guys should have been bringing donuts	Store manager greets the crowd with enthusiasm and reminds us to wipe our wet little feet	The crowd shuffles in with clean but lightly soggy shoes	The kids know where to find the games	A Genius does more than hand out Evian at the genius bar
A Power User checks out a Cinema Display	A "Snow" iMac goes out the door! Notice the lady on the right mopping the floor by the front door. Everyone was working hard.	A window display	OS X demo in the training theater	Shoppers
This beautiful lady with the solid Apple heart drove three hours to see the store	5 down. 95 to go.	Having too much fun with stickers	The Genius bar
The controversial store front and signage		The entrepid and weary explorers from afar prepare to depart for home	You think we'd drive four hours and then go straight home? This is Memphis, home of "THE KING"

Summary: The store was warm and inviting. The staff was friendly and helpful. They were clearly having a great time. We didn't tax their knowledge or try to stump a genius as everyone seemed busy. I've worked in Apple retail and sales for 14 years and I can't imagine how Apple products can be displayed in a better environment. We spent about $70 on games and got t-shirts. 95 to go!