Continuing the expansion of its overseas retail empire, Apple (AAPL) chose Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, as the site of its first Apple Store in Spain.
Despite the famous Catalan reserve, the opening Saturday in La Maquinista mall was the usual madhouse of winding queues, whooping staffers and over-caffeinated customers (fueled by trays of free espresso).
“I’m in love with this store,” proclaims a young enthusiast in one of the videos posted below. “It’s a paradise. I want to live here.”
A second Spanish Apple Store will open next Saturday in Madrid, according to ifoAppleStore, and a third is scheduled to open next year in Valencia.
Let’s go to the videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTOLqAfHEbI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfXzF1AY1iY
See also:
- Apple’s biggest store
- Apple plants its flagship in Shanghai
- Parisians storm Apple’s newest store
- Apple invades France
- Apple’s Munich opening is mobbed — in fullscreen panorama
[Follow Philip Elmer-DeWitt on Twitter @philiped]