Northlake Apple store opens this weekend

It's official: Northlake Mall's new Apple store will open at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27.

The store has been under construction for months, the grand opening date kept under wraps per Apple's usual policy. The Northlake Apple store is Charlotte's second (the first is at SouthPark) and the state's fifth Apple retail location.

The opening is likely to draw a big crowd, and the first 1,000 shoppers will get a free T-shirt, Apple says. The store is on Northlake's second floor, next to the Bebe location, and will have all the usual Apple store features, such as the Genius Bar.

A Mecklenburg County building permit lists the project as a $1.7 million renovation. That sounds pricey, but actually isn't that much for a company that recently had several billion dollars more on hand than the U.S. Treasury.

So will you stop by Saturday for a free T-shirt? Avoid the crowds? Or are you more of a PC person?

Update: Apple readies for Northlake store opening

The official opening date for Apple's store at Northlake Mall hasn't been announced yet, but rumors at the mall say it could be as soon as next weekend.

A spokesman for Apple wouldn't give the opening date when reached by phone this week. But at the mall, preparations look well underway. The new store, on the second floor next to a Bebe store, is walled off from view by a black barricade with a big, silver Apple logo on the front. Workers can be heard building inside, and there are jobs listings for retail positions at the new store on Apple's website.

CLT Blog gives "around August 25th" as the opening date, citing an unnamed source. IFOAppleStore.com, a major source of Apple store news and rumors, lists Saturday, Aug. 27 as the tentative possible opening date.

At the mall this week, employees weren't quite sure of the opening date, but most thought it would be soon. Some said they thought it would be next weekend, or before Labor Day at the latest. But at least one other employee said she'd heard the Apple store is aiming for early next year.

Apple doesn't usually officially announce opening dates until right before the day. IFOAppleStore just reported three grand openings have been announced for Aug. 20, so if the 27th is in fact the date, the company could send out word any day now. Stay tuned...

Contact us: Are you excited for the new Northlake Apple store? Give Ely a call at 704-358-5041 or email elyportillo@charlotteobserver.com