Czechia's first Apple Premium Partner store opens in Prague to massive queues

Anyone passing through Chodov Mall Friday morning would have noticed a queue stretching from the metro all the way to the first-floor retail area.

Mallgoers were lining up to visit the newly opened iStyle store — an official reseller of Apple products — that opened in the Chodov Westfield shopping center this morning.

Although there are several iStyle shops in the country, today's event marks a first, since this is the first “Apple Premium Partner” store to open in the country. The Chodov branch represents a significant step forward, Vít Goluch, the company's general manager, said:

There are differences between an Apple Premium Reseller and Apple Premium Partner. The latter is controlled directly by Apple itself, with the U.S. company determining the exact number of employees and their precise job roles, writes Ondrej Holzman of CzechCrunch.

The interior of the store, which covers an area of 250 meters, will also more closely resemble those in the U.S. Essentially, this move connects Apple Premium Partners more closely with Apple.

Customers of the new Chodov store will feel like they are in an official Apple store. iPads, MacBooks, Apple Watches, and other new releases are on display for visitors to try out, and the store plans to organize workshops open to the public. The staff has a higher level of specialty and training, and the store also offers Apple-authorized product service.

The network of iStyle stores will soon expand on top of the 10 stores currently in operation across the country. Apple's plans include at least one new shop in the center of Prague, near Masarykovo nádraží, with the status of a premium reseller.

The store, which will be the country’s second official “Apple Premium Reseller,” will be located in a glass building designed by renowned architect Zaha Hadid. The building is planned to open to the public in the second half of next 2023.

Although speculation abounded as to whether the new branch near Masaryk station would be an official Apple store, iStyle said that it would not be the case. 

Until Apple opens an official flagship store, people living in Czechia will have to travel to other countries to get the full Apple-store experience.