Over the last year, Apple has expanded their number of retail stores, including a new Apple Retail Store in the heart of Manhattan, in Grand Central Station. On Monday, ifoAppleStore reported that Apple is planning to open a new ‘Transparent’ retail store in France and Switzerland.

The new Apple Store, reported to be built in the Aix en Provence is planned to be a major architectural accomplishment for Apple, one that closely resembles Apple’s Upper West Side store. The rendering of the images show a mock-up of the store, with what it would look like on an average day with an almost invisible outer wall, showing the tables and display models of iPhone, iPod touches, and iPads set up inside.

The walls and ceiling are expected to be constructed of a special glass, different from the ones currently used, that allow the interior of the store to be entirely visible from a reasonable distance. The retail store located in the south of France has fair weather and a good share of customers walking through the shopping area.

The tourism office located on the south side of Place du General de Gaulle is going to be taken down, and replaced by the proposed Apple Store, which is expected to be open by open by late 2012 or early 2013. Apple’s Stores usually take anywhere from 6-8 months, with planning, construction, and opening, and it is a rather fast pace for any retail establishment.

The strong demand in US for Apple’s iPad might have delayed its launch internationally but that sure didn’t keep hardcore Apple fans from buying one of the hottest selling devices. A recent report published on MacRumors quoted results reported by Yahoo! which highlighted some interesting information about iPad users.

During the measurement period, the iPad has only been available for purchase in the U.S. market; however, we observe approximately 10% of IP traffic coming from Europe and Asia Pacific. Specifically, the U.K., France, and Germany are the top countries in Europe, and Taiwan and Hong Kong make up the most traffic in Asia Pacific.

If you are not in US and have an iPad then there is some good news for you! Apple has launched international iPad App Stores ahead of its availability in UK, Australia, Canada, France, Japan, Italy, Germany, Spain and Switzerland. It has also has been reported that iPad App Store is now accessible even in countries where the launch has not been announced yet.

Earlier this month Apple confirmed that iPad will roll out in 9 more countries. The iPad will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK on Friday, May 28.