SINGAPORE - After months of anticipation, the Apple retail store opened at 10am on Saturday (May 27) at Orchard Road, to an eager, waiting crowd.

The first in the queue was Chinese national Xiang Jiaxin, who had started queuing from 8pm on Friday.

The 25-year-old, who works in Macau as a hotel concierge, told The Straits Times that he had been to Apple store openings in Nanjing, Guangzhou and Macau.

He was warmly welcomed by Apple staff, dressed in blue shirts with a white Apple logo.

Apple Orchard Road, the first official Apple store in Singapore and South-east Asia, takes up two levels in Knightsbridge mall.

News of the store's opening first broke in October 2015, when tenants said they were moving to make room for the store.

Visitors to the first level can buy Apple products such as the iPhone, iPad, MacBook, iMac and accessories such as phone cases.

The second level is home to a space for free hands-on sessions such as iPhone photography.

Mr Denny Tuza, senior marketing director of Apple Retail, has previously said he believes that Apple Orchard Road will be among the most popular in the world.