On this day in 2001 then Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the very first Apple store, located at the Tysons Corner Center mall in Tysons, Virginia. Jobs held a commemorative press event at the store to announce its opening that weekend, along with a second location in Glendale, California. The stores were part of Apple’s effort to improve retail representation and its relationship with consumers, and featured several new concepts that have changed the look of computer and electronics retail since. Many in the media predicted the stores would be a failure, but upon their opening on May 19 more than 7,700 visited both stores, spending a total of US$599,000 in Apple products.
Within three years Apple stores reached a staggering US$1 billion in annual sales, becoming the fastest retailer in history to do so. Apple stores remain very successful to this day, with over 500 stores now located across 25 countries worldwide.