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First official Apple Store opens in the Philippines

It’s finally here! The first official Apple Store in the Philippines has opened in Bonifacio Global City without much noise. This we confirmed after a chance encounter and quick interview with a Marketing Manager overseeing the operations of the store.

apple-store-ph

The Apple Store is located inside the newly constructed Abensons BGC which is found in the corner of the 5th and 28th Street.

Construction began last year and was only completed in October of 2014. The store was curated by representatives from Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California (Manila Bulletin fist reported the Apple Store in December 8 40 ).

Abenson Global City boasts an expansive Apple Store, curated directly by Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California. The iPhone 6 is featured, alongside the MacBook line, iPad devices, Apple TV, and Apple accessories. source: MB

They spent an estimated Php50 million in the construction of the Store using the same special type of wood they’ve been using for the display tables (perhaps she was referring to the cost of constructing the entire Abensons Store rather than the one for Apple alone).

The first Apple Store in the Philippines is housed and managed by Abensons. A Genius Bar will be manned by Geniuses once they’re done with their training.

We first reported on a possible Apple Store Manila back in 2009 22 as mentioned by design company CB Engineers but was supposed to be housed in the proposed Philippine Stock Exchange in The Fort.

In 2012, a small group was formed to open Apple Philippines office in Manila 29 but they mainly interact with distributors and resellers.

Hiring of additional key employees continued until May 2014 which included a Channel Sales Manager, Channel Trainer and Education Development Manager Philippines.

However, the Apple website has no listing of an Apple Retail Store in the Philippines yet.

Updated: We received word that Apple PR is crafting a statement to clarify everything. We will share it once we get the statement.

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Avatar for Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

49 Responses

  1. Avatar for Samson Samson says:

    Please I am Samson. I need iPhone 7 plus with 128gb with silver colour. The price also

  2. Avatar for Samson Samson says:

    Please I am Samson. I need iPhone 7 plus with 128gb with silver colour.

  3. Avatar for vina ramos vina ramos says:

    hi good day may i please have your contact number please and thank you

  4. Avatar for Paul Paul says:

    Can you download nba any 2k in iphone4s?

  5. Avatar for MindYou MindYou says:

    Wow! More than one year and this article is still not updated. You mind deleting or updating this Abe to restore your credibility?

  6. Avatar for Boo Boo says:

    Masyado kang nagmamagaling Abe!

  7. Avatar for ozmoi ozmoi says:

    Sorry to burst everyone’s bubble, but unfortunately “Apple Shop” is only an Apple reseller.

    No Philippines on the official Apple web site on Apple Worldwide store list.

  8. Avatar for ching ching says:

    appleshoppe kaya cya not apple store

  9. Avatar for bobong bobong says:

    its a shop not a store!

  10. Avatar for Boo Boo says:

    Wow. credibility gone.
    Puro sponsorship nalang ba para sa articles?

    Walang basis tong article. it’s not an actual apple “store” and it definitely is not the first apple “shop”.

    Yuga, Abe… anyare sayo at sa team mo?

  11. Avatar for fanatic fanatic says:

    Apple is the best lalo n ung pagaasist ng mga taga avant abenson i bought there nice service very detailed

  12. Avatar for baby stroller baby stroller says:

    SAMSUNG ata ung kabila na part… ung nasa likod nung pic nung daddy na may baby stroller.

  13. Avatar for Shogo Amakusa Shogo Amakusa says:

    Getting tired of your shit Yugatech.

    http://yahoo-ph-news-technostorm.tumblr.com/post/1055916*****/is-apple-abenson-bgc-first-apple-store-philippines

  14. Avatar for Boooo Boooo says:

    Its an Apple Shop!

  15. Avatar for YRAG YRAG says:

    Mr. Hans Sy of SM attempted to bring Apple store in the Philippines, unfortunately he failed… This is not an Apple Store!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  16. Avatar for Chase Chase says:

    Definitely not an “official” Apple store. Small space (granted bigger than the Samsung one beside it), has all the products on display, no Apple Geniuses.

    And of course, the confirmation from the guy I inquired if they have stocks of the 128GB variety, “Are you guys the official store, or just a reseller?”

    “Reseller lang po ma’am”.

  17. Avatar for Elbert Cuenca Elbert Cuenca says:

    FIRST OFFICIAL APPLE STORE it is not.

    Abe, you need to post a retraction if you want to salvage whatever smidgen of credibility you have left.

  18. Avatar for dayg dayg says:

    Apple Shops are Apple-designed outlets located within select Apple resellers and other retail stores. Many are staffed with Apple-trained experts who can help you find the right solution for you.

  19. Avatar for Joel Bryan Juliano Joel Bryan Juliano says:

    There are 2 Apple-Designed Apple Store in the Philippines,

    ABENSON @ ASCOTT
    ASCOTT HOTEL, 28TH COR 5TH AVENUE,
    BONIFACIO GLOBAL CITY
    TAGUIG, METRO MANILA 1634
    8872874

    AVANT @ GREENBELT
    2/F GREENBELT 4 AYALA CENTER
    MAKATI AVENUE
    MAKATI CITY, METRO MANILA 1200
    +632 758-2319

    • Avatar for Joel Bryan Juliano Joel Bryan Juliano says:

      Here’s all the Official Apple Stores in Manila,

      https://locate.apple.com/ph/en/sales/?pt=all&lat=14.5995124&lon=120.9842195&f=4lllll2l

    • Avatar for bobong_pinoy bobong_pinoy says:

      The link that you’ve posted says it all.
      They’re Apple Shops, not Apple Stores.

  20. Avatar for iluvapple iluvapple says:

    Yugatech get your stories straight. Have you really done your resesrch on this matter?

  21. Avatar for John G John G says:

    It’s fanfare, not funfare. Learn to spell.

  22. Avatar for Void Access Random Void Access Random says:

    50 Million? Overpriced materials… Tsk tsk tsk…
    Headlines can really be deceiving… Apple store by Abenson.. Yeah right… Ibang iba ang design ng totoong apple store na yan dito sa US. They make it a point na halos magkakapareho mga apple reseller and apple store.

  23. Avatar for Chris Chris says:

    …once they’re training is completed???

  24. Avatar for Easy E Easy E says:

    if this is an official apple store, the story will be on international tech blogs. Official reseller lang yata ito. Parang Mac Center ba yun sa cyberzone.

  25. Avatar for Spellcheck Spellcheck says:

    Ehem

    They’re – they are

    Their – as in “their training”

  26. Avatar for rockz rockz says:

    Most Apple Stores are big, this one small (based on photos), is this really an Apple Store or just another authorized reseller?

  27. Avatar for archie archie says:

    Meh. Pupunta lang ako don para makita ang design ng mga mesa nila. Magaganda daw ang kahoy na ginamit.

  28. Avatar for kuwan kuwan says:

    Based on Apple website, this one is considered as an “Apple Shop” which are apple-designed outlets not an “Apple Store”.

    Now what is the difference or are there any differences between an “Apple Shop” and an “Apple Store”?

    • Avatar for kuwan kuwan says:

      Upon further research, Avant(Greenbelt 4) is also an “Apple Shop”. So no, this is not the first “Apple Shop” nor the first “Apple Store” here but we’ll see..

  29. Avatar for mang kanor mang kanor's ghost says:

    F@#$! YES! magagawa ko na rin yung sinabi ni Leonard sa The Big Bang Theory about making fun of this “GENIUSES”! LOL

  30. Avatar for razorous razorous says:

    hmmm… I’m quite skeptical about this, di ba authorized reseller lang to?

  31. Avatar for louie louie says:

    Seriously? Baka naman Abenson is just a retailer of Apple products. Bakit wala sa official Apple Website? The newly renovated Avant Abenson in Greenbelt now has a space for Apple products ala Apple Store.

    • Avatar for louie louie says:

      If this is the ‘first’ Apple Store in the Philippines, bakit mas nauna yung sa Avant Abenson in Greenbelt 4?

  32. Avatar for j j says:

    ang galing

    They’re, fanfare, including include

  33. Avatar for Mervin Mervin says:

    i hope IKEA is next

    • Avatar for Bob Bob says:

      Sure would be great to have IKEA in the Philippines. They’d be a strong competitor to SM.

    • Avatar for C@rl C@rl says:

      IKEA’s Breakfast please. More consumer would benefit if there is more competitor. “PRICE DOWN”
      Competition will be stiff.

  34. Avatar for Jay Q. Jay Q. says:

    Finally!

  35. Avatar for Kyle jefferson Kyle jefferson says:

    Is the price of apple product based on suggested retail price or is it the same as other apple premium seller?

  36. Avatar for oona oona says:

    ehem… *fAnfare

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