Apple walks away from third Manhattan store

TUAW reader Josh Madison pointed us to this recent Forbes article about Apple's decision to step back from a Manhattan retail deal. They've decided not to go ahead with their 34th Street multi-level Apple Store near Fifth and Sixth avenues. Forbes tells us that Apple had planned to open a thirty thousand square foot retail location but backed off, possibly having doubts regarding "the compatibility of its leading-edge image with that of middle-America 34th Street," and that the location might "tarnish its image". Because as we all know, middle America doesn't buy iPods or use Macintoshes, and you'll never find an Apple store in the middle of, say, a middle America shopping mall. Yeah, right. It's possible (or, in my opinion, almost certain) that Forbes is reading a bit too much into the decision to not go ahead with the store but it's hard to tell with so little actual data what the root causes are, or what it means to Apple's long term success.

Thanks, Josh.