Apple has opened a totally new store location — its first in the U.S. in over a year — at American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey. This unique setting requires extensive context to fully grasp, so that is what I’m going to provide.
American Dream is a colossal indoor mall set on some nondescript swampland in Bergen County — the county where shopping is restricted on Sundays. Despite having a direct line of sight to Midtown Manhattan, the mall is difficult and time-consuming to visit from New York City without a personal vehicle and almost impossible to access on foot. It’s a true suburban special. I visited American Dream last September because it seemed obvious that an Apple Store would eventually open in any mall this large. The place is paradise for any retail fan.
If you’ve been to Mall of America, you might expect American Dream to feel familiar. After all, both are owned by Triple Five Group. This is not the case. Unlike Mall of America, American Dream stretches across the land in serpentine fashion. The corridors feel endless and eternal, like a fever dream concocted by the mind of Sarah Winchester.
It took me roughly two hours just to walk through every level of the mall, eyes wide, bewildered. The empty hallways began to blur together, and the myriad blank storefronts became one incomprehensible patchwork of vinyl and plywood. I had no idea which spot Apple might choose. I loved it.
The spot Apple chose is on Level 2 of Court D — near the center of the mall. Like other recent mall stores, it eschews a Forum in favor of an Apple Pickup zone and two smaller Today at Apple displays.
Unlike previous Vintage D.2 stores, the entrance to Apple American Dream is curved, and that includes the sliding glass doors. The store is also noticeably smaller than Apple The Mall at Bay Plaza in The Bronx, which managed to squeeze in an extra row of tables and two leather seating areas along the Avenues. There are now tiny sensors on each product drawer in the Apple Pickup area. This is presumably part of the locking mechanism.
The latest design style is really hitting its stride, and it feels like Apple is settling in to a more comfortable cadence of store openings again after a very quiet year.
That said, I am a little bit worried about this location. Not because of tenant vacancy or foot traffic — numbers seemed to have really improved since my visit thanks to the likes of Mr. Beast — but because I think the mall is haunted. I’ve had a Google News alert set for American Dream for the past two years, and it has been one wild ride of construction delays, flooding, fires, evacuations, and financial problems. This is the mall that planned a grand opening for March 19… 2020.
I made a “dreamy” wallpaper in anticipation of Apple American Dream opening long before this newsletter existed. I don’t really have a use for it today, but you might enjoy it! You can download the full resolution version here from my Apple Retail Wallpaper collection.
The team at iMore interviewed me last week to learn more about the origins of Facades and my journey into iOS development. They also asked me to reveal future plans, but I have read enough Apple interviews to know how to dodge that question. Speaking of Facades, I’m looking for a few more beta testers willing to provide regular feedback on TestFlight. If you’re interested, message me.
Apple 丸の内
Photo via @ciel49.
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