KUALA LUMPUR: Thousands of die-hard Apple fans thronged the first Apple store at The Exchange TRX mall this morning.
Some, who came as far as China, started camping at TRX the night before to be among the first to enter the store, which opened at 10am.
Sun Jianxia, 18, who travelled from China, said it was his big dream to experience the grand opening of an Apple store in Malaysia. He said he had been waiting in front of the store since 5pm the previous day and was the first customer to enter the store.
"I'm so excited, and I can hear the people cheer around me. It was the most wonderful moment in my life," he said.
Sun, who is also a student, came with his friend Chen Jia, 37, whom he met previously at an Apple store opening in China.
"We got to know each other during that time. We planned to come here a month ago and really wanted to be among the first customers," he said.
"For me, it was a big achievement as an Apple fan," he added.
Sun said he planned to buy any item from the store just to get a receipt from the store.
"I already have all Apple products at home, so this one is for my own achievements," he said.
"It's the ticket that will print the name of the store or the location of the store, which is very unique," he added.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Irfan, 25, who was the first Malaysian customer to enter the store, said it was all for the experience.
He said he had been at the mall since yesterday.
"I came at midnight, and the mall security told us that the mall was closed so we needed to move, but Apple provided a good place for us to wait," he said.
"This is one of my main goals. It motivates me because you get free gifts when Apple launches their first store. So basically, this is different from other stores," he added.
"In other countries, they give T-shirts for free. But in Malaysia, they give tote bags for free. So I think I'm very attracted to the gold colour."
Irfan, who is from Kuala Lumpur, said he did not plan to buy anything from the store and only came for the opening event.
"I don't think I will buy anything since it's the first day and it will be too crowded. So maybe later on, I will buy something.
"I just want to experience how Apple launches their first store," he said.
According to Apple senior vice president of retail, Deirdre O'Brien, what sets the store apart from the Apple Premium Resellers (APR) is the unique experience it offers, as well as the design of the store.
"For example, the free Today at Apple sessions led by Apple creatives will help users learn to maximise their devices' potential, with topics ranging from basic tutorials to advanced iPhone photography and video production," she said.
"The plan with the programme here is that we will have sessions that we also run globally, which everyone can experience in different stores all around the world."
To celebrate its grand opening, O'Brien said there will be a special Today at Apple series titled "Jom Discover" that will run from June 22 to July 6. "This series will feature renowned Malaysian creators and provide insights into their creative processes while showcasing Apple's product capabilities," she added.
Additionally, there will be a special session for photography daily, where people can join a photography walkabout and celebrate the community that the store is in.
The Apple Store at The Exchange TRX is the sixth Apple Store in the region, with Singapore having three and Thailand two.
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