Apple To Pop Up At SXSW

Apple is opening a temporary store on Friday in downtown Austin, TX, timed both for the release of the iPad 2 and the start of the South by Southwest music festival. The store will be located in the Scarbrough Building on Congress Avenue, a 5,000 square foot space that Apple is leasing for two weeks. This was a very fast decision, it seems.

Rance Wilemon, a real estate agent working on the deal said "They came in town on Monday, did a quick tour, found a spot, and they're in there working and will open by Friday." Austin is hoping they decide to stay at the location. "I'll take Apple for two weeks any day of the year," said Molly Alexander, associate director of the Downtown Austin Alliance, "They're one of the best retailers in the world." But Wilemon said the store "is not as much to test the market as much as it is to be a part" of SXSW, which draws thousands of people to Austin every year.

Apple already has two stores in Austin, in the Southwest and North areas of the city. Each of the stores have annual sales of $25 to $30 million. We're sure they'll do well during the festival, and there are sure to be lots of campers outside the pop up store on Friday.

[via statesman.com]