As far as retail frenzies go, Apple Inc.’s iPhone had its own flavor.
Mostly guys in their 30s to 40s lined up early on June 29 to be the first with the flashy phone. Compare that to the county’s last frenzy, the opening of European retailer H & M;, where hordes of teen girls and women in their 20s waited to be the first shoppers at H & M;’s three local stores.
At Fashion Island, the first group of guys waiting for the iPhone got to the mall’s Apple Store at 4 a.m. A few hours later, about 70 people were in line, a handful of them women.
Everyone was wrapped up in sleeping bags or sitting in lawn chairs playing with their laptop Macs.
The lines weren’t as long as those for H & M.; The iPhone, after all, costs $600.
The iPhone line didn’t break any local records.
The longest line for a store opening or a product launch at the Irvine Spectrum Center was for Nordstrom’s opening in 2005, when 2,500 people showed. The opening of the Apple Store in 2006 drew 975 people. H & M; had 650.
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Fletcher Jones Service department: $37 million in revenue last year |
While we’re counting, the longest lines for movie openings at the Spectrum were for “Spider-Man 3,” “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” and all three “The Lord of the Rings” movies.
Ratware
Upscale products promoting “Ratatouille,” the Walt Disney Co. movie about a rat chef, are at Sur La Table in Corona del Mar and other upscale stores. It’s part of Disney’s push into luxury retailing, according to industry site RetailWire LLC.
Sur La Table is selling a Rat Spat spatula, a kid’s cookbook and a baking set tied to the movie.
Speaking of Disney
Disney’s Nemo Dream Mobile is set to call on the Bloomingdale’s parking lot at South Coast Plaza on July 29, promoting the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage ride at Disneyland.
Hair for a Cause
MK Hairdressing Studio held its grand opening at Woodbury Town Center in Irvine with a Multiple Sclerosis Society fund-raiser. Regularly priced $50 haircuts went for $20. All the proceeds went to the nonprofit.
“Music on the Green” kicked off on Sunday at Woodbury Town Center and is set for every Sunday in July.
Bands performing in the series: Bonne Musique Zydeco, a Cajun-style group, Pete Jacobs and his Wartime Radio Revue, which features big band and swing hits, and Hot August Nights, a Neil Diamond tribute.
Other stores set to open soon at the neighborhood shopping center: Frou Frou Women’s Clothing, House of Pilates, LA Fitness, Pastagina, Peppino’s Italian Restaurant, The Counter gourmet burger joint and Wells Fargo bank.
Market Place Opening
The Mattress Gallery has opened on the Tustin side of The Market Place between Home Depot and Toys “R” Us.
NikeStore Adds Men’s
NikeStore at South Coast Plaza, formerly NikeWomen, now sells men’s clothing and shoes, too. It’s Nike Inc.’s second combined men’s and women’s store. The other recently opened in Chicago.
Designers Meet and Greet
Stores at The Shops at the Montage Resort & Spa Laguna Beach are hosting a series of two-hour gatherings with designers behind brands such as Trina Turk, Vitamin A, Om Girl, Volspa and Isabella Fiore. The series started last week and run Fridays and Saturdays through Sept. 2.
Spa Montage is offering 60-minute “wellness classes” including Chakra Flow, Retro Groovin, Hip-Hop and Fusion Cycle/Yoga for $325 to $460. They’re free for guests.
Ritz Ranking
Irvine-based Ritz Interactive Inc. was ranked No. 114 on a list of the Top 500 Internet retailers, based on 2006 sales. The list was compiled by industry publication Internet Retailer. Ritz runs several online sites such as RitzCamera.com and BoatersWorld.com.
Volvo Package Push
Come fall, Volvo dealers are set to be pushing R-design, a personalized sporty options package for Volvo models C30, S40 and V50. Buyers will be able to choose from design options such as 10 exterior colors and an R-design badge in the grille.
Dealer Rankings, by Service
Putting a twist on the Ward’s 500 top dealers list: If dealers were ranked by service revenue, Fletcher Jones Motorcars in Newport Beach, the nation’s No. 2 dealer, would be No. 1 at $37 million in 2006. Longo Toyota in El Monte, the nation’s No. 1 dealer, is No. 2 by service revenue at $22 million.
Looking at some of the other local luxury dealers, No. 62 Wilson Automotive Group’s Tustin Lexus had $10 million in service revenue; No. 10 AutoNation’s Buena Park-based House of Imports, $14.3 million; No. 12 Donald Crevier’s Santa Ana-based Crevier BMW, $14.3 million; and No. 112 AutoNation’s Newport Auto Center, which sells Bentley and Porsche, $7.5 million.
