Apple Opens Third Store in Manhattan

New York City Apple opened its second-biggest store in the United States on Friday, in Manhattan's meatpacking district, known for its trendy restaurants and boutiques.

The new store, the third in Manhattan, has an entire floor for technical support, one-on-one sessions and "pro labs"—free classes on how to use Apple computers. Its 46-ft.-long "Genius Bar" can help 100 customers each hour and the store has 50% more space for tech support and education than any other Apple store.

"Where other stores end with a transaction, that's really where we like to begin," Ron Johnson, the senior VP who leads Apple's retail strategy, told Reuters.

There are more than 200 stores in five countries, and Apple said in October it plans to open about 40 outlets in the next year, including its first in China.