Inside the Apple Stores: at six years old, retail shops are going strong.(BUSINESS)

Apple has come a long way since opening its first retail store in McLean, Virginia, in 2001. Six years later, the company now has more than 170 retail locations in five countries--including the first store on the European continent, recently opened in Rome--and shows no signs of slowing down (see macworld.com/2674 for all locations).

Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer recently told attendees at the Morgan Stanley Technology Conference in San Francisco that Apple will continue "at a measured and controlled pace," and that the company is slated to open 35 to 40 new stores in 2007 ...

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