Slightly confusingly, Apple stores are now just called Apple

Apple's latest branding move messes with syntax and established convention as it changes the way it refers to its physical stores. While Apple Store, Fifth Avenue made perfect sense to just about anyone with common sense, Apple has now decided that Apple Fifth Avenue is better.

The change to retail labelling is a little, well, odd frankly, but it's sure to gain Apple some more of the attention it so craves. After all, Apple World Trade Center sounds rather more grand than Apple Store, World Trade Center doesn't it?

MacRumors reports that Apple employees recently received emails informing them of the new wording for store branding. Ditching the word 'store' is something that is due to happen gradually, both online and offline, and new stores will be the first to get the treatment.

With branding being so central to the ethos of the company, the store changes are very typically Apple. Accusations of pretention will almost certainly -- and arguably justifiably -- follow, but if there's one thing that can be said about Apple, it's that it knows how to get people talking.

Mission accomplished!

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