Something’s Up. Apple Store Hours To Go Up?

There’s something brewing in Cupertino, CA and it’s not the latest California-style latte. IFO AppleStore reports that Apple is about to increase store hours wherever possible. Nearly up to a 50-percent increase in weekly hours. Why? Heavy traffic for iPods, accessories, and Macs, for sure. Maybe there’s something else?

The “something else” is not hard to figure. New products. More products. More traffic. All that translates into more sales.

Apple’s retail stores are selling at a clip nearing $2.5-billion annually. That’s only expected to increase as Apple tightens the grip on the portable music player market, and Macs continue to sell at record numbers despite an impending shift to Intel chips (seems like customers don’t care).

Those stores are important. They’re highly profitable and a great showcase for Apple’s classy products. So, expect some new products from Apple. Soon.

What’s IFO Apple Store have to say?

No official word has been announced, but such a move makes good sense as Apple ramps up for the fall selling season. More products. More traffic. More sales. It’s a simple formula and it’s working for the once-beleaguered Mac maker.

Commentary
I’ve been disappointed with my last few visits to the Apple Store. The places are packed with people. iPods have nearly taken center stage. Outside of that, I’d like to find something new each time I visit. New software. New gadgets. New training shows. New seminars. That hasn’t been the case.

Apple has become so cool with the iPod, iMacs, Mac mini, and OS X Tiger that they need a steady stream of new products and goodies to quench that thirst.

The company is on a roll. Everything appears to be working just right. Hardware, software. iPods, iMacs. OS X. All this excitement is coming at exactly the time when there’s no excitement in the PC world.

In fact, the hardware boxes remain pretty much the same bland devices of years past. More and more Windows users are frustrated and angry with Microsoft. Some of that anger is being directed via action—checking out the iPods and iMacs at the local Apple Store.

Result? More traffic, more sales.