One Infinite Loop
Located at One Infinite Loop, Cupertino, California, Infinite Loop served as Apple’s HQ from 1993 through 2017 before major operations moved to Apple Park.
A trip to San Fransisco wouldn't be complete without paying a visit to Apple's Infinite Loop and Apple Park. In part one, I visit Apple Infinite Loop, the HQ of Apple's operations from 1993 through 2007, and go over some of the spoils from my visit to the Apple Store located on campus.
Infinite Loop Apple Store
Originally known as the Apple Company Store when it opened in 1993, the location was updated & rebranded as Apple Infinite Loop in 2015. And while it now looks and operates like any other Apple Store, it hosts the unique honour of being one of two Apple stores in the world that sells exclusive Apple merchandise (the other being Apple Park).
Six tables, two for iPhone, two for the Mac, & two for the Apple Watch comprise the entire store save for two shelving insets on the back wall for AirPods, merch, and other accessories.
The actual appearance of the store, save for its location directly adjacent to the entrance of 1 Infinite Loop, is understated. The store is on a single level with six tables of Apple products and a back wall with accessories and exclusive Apple merch. By all accounts, it's a very modest retail location. Since its inception in 1993, The store has always sold Apple merchandise. And when I last visited in 2010, the selection was expansive, with dozens of jackets, polos, tees, hats, toques, and other Apple tchotchkes to collect. Today, the experience is significantly pared down, with a handful of shirts, notebooks, and drink-ware to select from, while the remainder of the store has been dedicated to showcasing Apple's products. Back in the day, the store was almost entirely devoted to Apple merch and not on Apple devices; today, the reverse is true.
The Merch
Apart from visiting the hallowed ground that was Apple HQ, one of the main reasons you'd want to make the trek to Infinite Loop & see this store is that it sells a collection of different (and better) merch over the Apple Park Visitors Center, including shirts, mugs, pens, notebooks, and water bottles you won't find at Apple Park.
Tees
Six different shirt designs were available during my May 2020 visit to Apple Infinite Loop. Each shirt is made from a soft, pre-shrunk pima-cotton and retail for $40.00.
Searching the web for old photos of the campus store shows that the collection of tees has changed over the years. During my visit in May 2022, the offering consisted of three shirts printed with the Infinite Loop address, two black and white shirts dotted with Susan Kare's famous icons for the Macintosh, and two featuring the skull & crossbones pirate flag harkening to Apple's roots. I had to look up the origin of the flag, it was a little before my time, but it appears to have been inspired by a saying of Steve's during a corporate retreat that: "it's better to be a pirate than join the navy," a charge for Apple to remain rebellious, both, & independent even as the company grew in scale.
And, of course, it wouldn't just be enough to sell a shirt; Apple also needs to sell the experience. The tees all come in these simple white square boxes with a glossy Apple logo to make this unboxing feel as premium as any of their other products.
Mugs, Pens, & Pads
On the other end of the store stands a second accessory wall consisting of linen notepads embossed with the Apple Logo (ruled or blank in Gray, Gold, or Black), Japanese Hasami porcelain mugs in white, gray, or black (two sizes: 10 & 13 fl oz.), a collection of S'well water bottles, and Retro51 ballpoint pens.
The second wall of Apple merchandise has a collection of linen notebooks, Hasami Porcelain mugs, S’well water bottles, and Retro 1951 Tornado pens.
I have to confess that even as I gripe about the pared-down offerings, the merchandise is of exceptional quality. For example, the Hasami Porcelain mugs have a beautiful earthen look made using centuries-old pottery techniques to produce a design that looks both modern and traditional in its appearance.
The Hasami Porcelain mugs are available in 10 or 13 fl oz. sizes in three colours: White, Stone, or Black, and sell for $25.00 and $29.00. Pictured above is the 10 fl oz. gray-coloured mug.
These metal pens from Retro 1951 feature a retractable rollerball and a distinctive knurled top. They are available in five finishes (Silver, Rose Gold, Gold, Space Gray, & Matte Black) & sell for $35.00.
But not unlike almost every product in Apple's lineup, even the merch seemed to be at the mercy of the supply chain. The notebooks (usually available in three different sizes) were reduced to a single size, and several of the tees and mugs had several of their sizes and styles unavailable.
Stroll
The sign greeting you as you enter the campus grounds.
Even though Infinite Loop is no longer serving as Apple's main campus, it remains a lively hub of activity. It remains a beautifully maintained campus with a historical significance, serving as Apple's HQ from 1993 through 2017. It was behind these walls that the iMac, iPod, iPhone, iPad, and even the Magic Mouse with its obtuse lightning port were all conceived. And so, after splurging on merch, It felt only fitting to take a minute and walk the perimeter of the campus, appreciating what the people working behind its walls have produced over the years.
And after all that, I began to make my way to my second Cupertino destination: Apple Park.
