The Disadvantage of Glass Storefronts

In December, the Apple Store in Palo Alto, CA confronted one of the realities of having an expansive glass storefront: the store is vulnerable to damage. A group of four suspects drove a Kia Soul through the front of the store and stole thousands of dollars worth of Apple merchandise. According to police, more than a dozen additional suspects helped carry out the robbery after the storefront was breached.

The store does include cement barriers to prevent unintended collisions, the suspects drove the car down the sidewalk before putting the vehicle through the front of the store. Both the car and the store sustained heavy damage in the heist, and Apple was unwilling to provide an estimate of just how much of its stuff was taken.

The store’s glass panels didn’t break completely – they were still hanging in place at the top after the assault, but the car put a car-sized hole in the panels at the bottom, allowing easy access to Apple’s product line. The company did a quick fix on the storefront to allow it to continue to operate during the busy holiday season, but a long-term repair required the store to close for construction in mid-January. The store is now reopened.

Police arrested four people the night of the robbery and recovered some of the merchandise that had been stolen. Apple’s new glass storefront design seems to be a hit with thieves. Apple stores in San Francisco, Berkeley, Burlingame, Corte Madera and Los Gatos have also been robbed – some in similar fashion.

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Photo Credit: Jun Seita , via Flickr.com