Image: Apple
Apple’s SouthGate store in Bath will reopen on Friday, October 23 following a summer refurbishment, putting the refreshed Apple Store back in business on the same day iPhone Duo officially launches.
The Bath store has been closed while Apple carried out refurbishment work at the SouthGate shopping center location, with the reopening now set for next Friday. The timing means customers visiting on reopening day will also be able to see Apple’s first foldable iPhone in person, with iPhone Duo due to go on sale in Apple Stores that same day.
At the time of writing, Apple’s own SouthGate retail webpage still lists the Bath store as temporarily closed and does not yet display the October 23 reopening date. The page currently shows special closure hours through Wednesday, October 21, suggesting Apple has not yet fully updated the store listing ahead of reopening.
The reopening date itself is not entirely unexpected. Apple has been preparing the SouthGate location for a return after more than three months of refurbishment, with October 23 lining up neatly with one of the company’s biggest retail days of the year.
iPhone Duo officially launches on Friday, October 23 after pre-orders opened this week. Apple has confirmed that customers will be able to shop for the device in stores from launch day, although sellable inventory is expected to be tight after online delivery estimates slipped rapidly following pre-orders opening.
The Apple Post has already looked at whether Apple Stores will have iPhone Duo available to buy on launch day, with customers advised to check store pickup availability before travelling because individual colors and storage capacities may sell out quickly.
For anyone still hoping to secure Apple’s foldable on release day, our guide explains how to get an iPhone Duo on launch day, including checking Apple Store pickup, nearby stores, carriers and participating retailers.
Demand has already pushed online availability well beyond October 23. Launch-day delivery began disappearing less than 15 minutes after pre-orders opened, with some configurations later slipping into 2027.
That could make the newly refurbished Bath store particularly busy when its doors reopen. Customers visiting SouthGate on October 23 will have the unusual combination of a freshly reopened Apple Store and the first day of in-store availability for one of Apple’s most significant new iPhone products in years.
Apple SouthGate is located at SU39, Southgate Place, Bath, BA1 1AP. Apple has not yet published opening hours for October 23 on the store’s own webpage, so customers planning to visit on reopening morning should check the listing again closer to launch day.
iPhone Duo starts at £1,999 in the UK. Our iPhone Duo price and release-date guide has the full launch details.
For the latest Apple Store news, iPhone Duo availability updates and launch-day coverage, download The Apple Post app on iPhone and iPad.