Two years ago, Isobella Jade was down on her luck, living on a friend’s couch and struggling to make it as a fashion model when she had the idea of writing a book about her experience as a short woman trying to break into the modeling business. The policy has given some stores, especially those in urban neighborhoods, the feel of a community center. But they also encourage lingering, with dozens of fully functioning computers, iPods and iPhones for visitors to try - for hours on end. The article also includes an anecdote about a would-be author who wrote her manuscript at the SoHo store.Īpple stores encourage a lot of purchasing, to be sure. The result is far fewer qualms among consumers about paying premium prices: $30 for an iPhone case, $200 for an iPod Nano or $1,200 for a computer.
“The idea is that while people love to come to retail stores, and they do it all the time, what they really appreciate the most is that undivided personal attention,” Mr. Ron Johnson, Apple’s senior vice president for retail, said he believed the high level of service played a large role in the success of the stores. “They’ve become the Nordstrom of technology,” said Michael Gartenberg, vice president and research director at Jupiter Research, referring to the department store that is known for its service. Personal shoppers are available by appointment, and last month the company took the concept of personalized service to a new level, with concierge teams stationed throughout each store. Others, designated “personal trainers,” give one-on-one instruction and lead workshops. Technicians work behind the so-called genius bar, ministering to customers’ ailing iPods, MacBooks and iPhones. Relentlessly smiling employees roam the floor, carrying hand-held terminals for instant credit-card swiping. The article suggests attentive staff may be the stores’ secret weapon.īut the secret formula may be the personal attention paid to customers by sales staff. 20 percent of its revenue comes from its physical stores and that number is growing: The stores accounted for $1.25 billion of Apple’s $6.2 billion in revenues in 2007’s fourth quarter, a 42 percent increase over the previous year.) (Some numbers: Apple’s stock is up nearly 135 percent for the year. The article describes how personal attention is driving tons of growth at Apple’s stores. It’s really reassuring to know I can go somewhere and get instant help if/when the shit hits the fan.Īccording to “Inside Apple Stores, a Certain Aura Enchants the Faithful,” I’m not alone in feeling this way. I was annoyed by the problems, but the level of support definitely helped turn a negative situation into one that at least makes me feel like Apple’s got my back. I scheduled my appointments in advance using the online reservation system, received help from friendly staffers, and was given two brand new batteries at no charge. It’s been a bummer but the genius bar at the SoHo store has helped immensely.
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And now, BCJ has just unveiled their latest Apple store, and the first of its kind in China which seeks to emulate similar design decisions as the Fifth Avenue project.My Macbook Pro has had multiple battery problems this year. Turning a tough retail space into a successful masterpiece, the store’s iconic cube, a 32-foot glass structure, marks the store’s entrance and beckons customers down to the retail level which is illuminated with natural light. It may come as a surprise that the leading architects behind the stores are Bohlin Cywinski Jackson (BCJ), a firm that had never designed a retail store before Apple and whose principal, Peter Bohlin, winner of the AIA Gold Medal, ironically doesn’t use email.īohlin has awed us in the past, especially with Apple’s second Manhattan retail store located on Fifth Avenue. As keepers of the latest technology, the buildings’ minimalist interiors boast a calm and sophisticated demeanor, complimenting, yet not overshadowing, their prized possessions. Similar to their identifiable products, the Apple stores require a sleek, almost instantly recognizable, aesthetic.
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