This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah's second Apple Store is set to open at 10 a.m. Saturday at Fashion Place in Murray, marking another coup for the thriving regional mall.
On Tuesday, a spokesman for the Cupertino, Calif.-based company confirmed long-running speculation about a location at the mall, 6191 S. State St. Apple typically verifies openings only about one week prior to a store's debut.
The first Apple Store in Utah opened in The Gateway shopping center in downtown Salt Lake City in November 2005. Since then, the store has hosted the launches of some of Apple's most popular products, including the iPad and newer versions of the iPhone.
Apple Store grand openings are popular events. For the opening of Utah's first store, some people camped out overnight in subfreezing temperatures; by the time the store opened at 10 a.m., more than 500 were waiting in line to get inside.
The new Apple Store is south of high-end anchor Nordstrom in the new "luxury wing" of Fashion Place. Apple is the first to open in that wing and in the fall will be joined by apparel retailers H&M, Brighton Collectibles, Ann Taylor and Loft; housewares chain Crate and Barrel; BRIO Tuscan Grille restaurant; Teavana, a store that sells and serves tea; and Art of Shaving, a high-end accessories store.
"The Apple Store brings in a tech-savvy consumer to the center who we haven't been able to serve before," said Brooke Whitebread, senior marketing manager at Fashion Place.
Landing Apple is yet another triumph for Fashion Place — and for Utah — said Nick Clark, a retail specialist with Commerce Real Estate Solutions in Salt Lake City. Years ago, Utah's relatively small population base meant that retailers who wanted to expand in the West would open and expand in states such as Colorado, Nevada and Arizona first, sometimes bypassing the Beehive State for years.
Not today, Clark said. Utah's population has grown to a point that the state is a popular site for retail expansion. "When Shoe Carnival moved west, it opened in Utah first," said Clark of the popular shoe retailer's opening in 2007, the same year IKEA moved into the state.
During the economic downturn and slow recovery, Utah's comparatively strong economy has added to its attraction for retailers, and Fashion Place has certainly has tapped into that trend.
In 2009, the 138,000-square-foot Nordstrom store opened on Fashion Place's north side, replacing an older and smaller store. The new store is part of a major improvement and expansion effort at Fashion Place by mall operator General Growth Properties Inc.
Clark said Apple's decision to open in Fashion Place makes sense, given the fact that the first store is in downtown Salt Lake City. The store in Murray will better serve the south Salt Lake Valley and Utah County, he added, predicting that "it will be a major draw."
Twitter: @cheapchick —
Opening set
P When • 10 a.m. Saturday
More information • Apple.com/retail/fashionplace