The article states "The Apple Store, Apple's first foray into its own retail stores, opened its first two locations on May 19, 2001, in Glendale, Calif. and then in Tysons Corner, Virginia." That wording implies that the Glendale, California store opened first. While both stores did open May 19, 2001 (at the same local time), the Tysons Corner, VA store actually opened three hours earlier, as Virginia is three time zones ahead of California. Although interestingly, the Glendale, CA store is considered Apple Store number 1 and Tysons Corner is considered Apple Store number 2. (BTW, I was standing in the line for the Tysons Corner Apple Store opening.)
Others above have commented about the success of the Apple store versus other computer stores... Admittedly, this is anecdotal, but two years ago on a random Saturday I happened to be walking through the Mall of America which has an Apple Store and at that time also had a Microsoft Store located across the hallway. When I got up to the two stores I snapped a picture of each store. These were taken mere seconds apart. Compare the number of people in each store.
The Apple Store (notice the reflection of the Microsoft logo in the window):
In Australia in the late 1990s, Apple Australia were spending a lot of time with the Authorised Resellers giving, uh, guidance on store layout and presentation. We all knew about the Apple Stores, and there was no doubt they would be headed to Australia sooner rather than later - but Apple Oz still expected us to spend a significant amount of money; in some cases (like ours) more than our annual sales from Apple. We were located outside major metropolitan areas and there was no way foot traffic would increase to the point where we would make that money back. The owner of our two stores decided to sell up and retire, and a major Apple Reseller group took over. I left after a year, and within two years that company ran out of money after trying its best to implement Apple's policy (while also engaging in shenanigans with the repair side of things to try and boost profits) and then seeing official Apple Stores take away "their" customers.
Apple Stores were a major investment by the company, and Apple deserves their success - they were a risk that most smaller companies could not take. But while I don't deny that some of their official Resellers weren't doing Apple any favours, it really hurt to see "my" two stores close. As has been said above, the smaller Apple Resellers were the ones who knew and loved the products and who kept selling Apple gear in the face of cheaper competition from elsewhere and continually reducing product margins from the mothership. It's just business and economic realities, and, again, the Apple Stores have been successful on the merits, but I will never forget that they cannibalised their Reseller network to gain critical momentum.
Went to my first Apple store Christmas of 2000 in Woodbridge, NJ. I went to get an AirPort card installed for my Pismo Powerbook (I had gotten he base station for Christmas). The store was completely empty back then, but I loved it. As I lived in the Philly area, I emailed Apple and said they should open a store in King of Prussia, where there is one of the best and most high-end malls in the country.
In November of 2001, I went to the grand opening of the Apple Store KOP. I went with a friend who did a lot fo AppleScript developing (he later became an independent developer full-time, and now works for Apple). We stood in line, camcorders in hand. It was really a great experience, though no one was really buying anything of consequence.
As the years went on, I started really disliking the stores. A decade later, they were always mobbed. There's no reason to really go there anymore, as everything is online. 20 years ago, going through software titles and accessories was fun. Now that the pandemic is waning in the U.S., perhaps I'll start to enjoy stopping by (which requires going to the mall, something I've not done in probably 2 years).
Headlines like this are why people call Apple a cult...
1. Steve was at the helm, but thousands of hard-working creative people at Apple were responsible for the creation and roll out of the Apple Stores. Steve announced it, he even *helped* shape it, but to pretend he did it in a vacuum is an insult to all the people that worked their asses off to make it happen. 2. Not only did Apple not change the *face of retail*, they didn't even come up with a new idea. It is called a "boutique" and it was the norm across many different retail markets from perfume to high-end cars. Apple was the not even the firstto apply it to computers. They did it really well, but it was not a new idea.
You know, you can praise the things you like that Apple has done without using hyperbole every time.
Edit.. I stand corrected, Apple was not the first to apply it to computers. Macxpress brought up "Gateway Country Stores". Apple certainly did it better, and Gateway's lower margins just could not support an upscale shopping experience.
Great post, I stopped reading after the 'Changed the face of retail' bit... That's really quite the stretch and blowing your own ego hyperbole trumpet that's the size of the moon!
Great article, William! Some points that I think you forget to include. 1— Around CompuUSA's stores-in-stores they also tried Cafe Mac… where you could connect to the internet. 2— Ron Johnson told a story about he and Steve checking a mockup of the first store built in a secret place… and he told Steve to change everything from… product oriented to ‘appliction’ oriented… devices to photographers, designers, video producer… In the car, Steve yielded to him: “You made me waste 200 hundreds!” When they arrived to the marketing meeting in Cupertino… Steve just said: “Do what he says…” And left the room. That was the beginning of the success! 3— And the same time they developed the mock-up they ask SAP to develop sa sales management system that informed about sales… every 4 minutes. Follow the money! 4— Dell's online site was build on WebObject, a powerful web developing tool from NeXT. When Apple bought NeXT… Dell rebuilt the whole site in other tools.
But the biggest point that I do not see commented is the… great renovation efforts for old and significant places… including the one in London. This is something of the ’intersection of technology with overall ates’ that we do not pay too much attention from Apple.
And finally, my idea of why the Apple Store is successful: The employees advice customers about Apple products… they do not earn money for selling you crap products!
Apple store prototype sketch based on experiences over products. Showing visitors how Apple products could empower them. Modeled around a surf shop for technology. Few remember that even in the beginning Apple Store devices were internet connected unlike other retailers.
Headlines like this are why people call Apple a cult...
1. Steve was at the helm, but thousands of hard-working creative people at Apple were responsible for the creation and roll out of the Apple Stores. Steve announced it, he even *helped* shape it, but to pretend he did it in a vacuum is an insult to all the people that worked their asses off to make it happen. 2. Not only did Apple not change the *face of retail*, they didn't even come up with a new idea. It is called a "boutique" and it was the norm across many different retail markets from perfume to high-end cars. Apple was the not even the firstto apply it to computers. They did it really well, but it was not a new idea.
You know, you can praise the things you like that Apple has done without using hyperbole every time.
Edit.. I stand corrected, Apple was not the first to apply it to computers. Macxpress brought up "Gateway Country Stores". Apple certainly did it better, and Gateway's lower margins just could not support an upscale shopping experience.
Your being absurd. It's well documented that Jobs was behind the store concept and worked with his hire of Johnson until it was how he liked it. Of course Johnson and untold others helped to do this, but that doesn't change that it was Jobs behind it.
Apple's implementation of this boutique was head & shoulders above anything else, including Gateway Country stores, which I had also been to at the time. There's a reason why Samsung and Microsoft copy the Apple Store design to this day and not Gateway's.
Never would have happened without Steve Jobs the same applies to Steve saying no to Flash......
Wow its almost like Apple has done nothing for 17 years, the concept of the Apple store is still quite the same. Cook better get things going it seems like there is no "one more thing for years"
"Until the other team stops our pick and roll you run it again and again" Jerry Sloan former coach of the Utah Jazz, Apple should do the same "If it ain't broke don't fix it"
Unions are a sham. And it's somehow "illegal" for a company to advocate that it's way of running itself is better than an outside organization that lives only by the money it bleeds from that company? Parasites.
If a union can push to get it, companies should be able to push to keep them out. If a union can talk down ("bash") a company, that company should be able to talk down ("bash") a union.
So strange to see these kinds of one-sided things go on in the USA even still. Sure, when the mob was everywhere, it was difficult, but nowadays it would be great to see some actual justice in the cards for entrepreuers, small busiensses, medium businesses, and enterprises, etc.
Oh and here is the real reason why unions suck: A company doesn't have to cave to its little demands. A business can say "no."
Comments
But Apple stores look a whole lot like high end fashion stores have for as long as I can recall (60's).
The article states "The Apple Store, Apple's first foray into its own retail stores, opened its first two locations on May 19, 2001, in Glendale, Calif. and then in Tysons Corner, Virginia." That wording implies that the Glendale, California store opened first. While both stores did open May 19, 2001 (at the same local time), the Tysons Corner, VA store actually opened three hours earlier, as Virginia is three time zones ahead of California. Although interestingly, the Glendale, CA store is considered Apple Store number 1 and Tysons Corner is considered Apple Store number 2. (BTW, I was standing in the line for the Tysons Corner Apple Store opening.)
Others above have commented about the success of the Apple store versus other computer stores...
Admittedly, this is anecdotal, but two years ago on a random Saturday I happened to be walking through the Mall of America which has an Apple Store and at that time also had a Microsoft Store located across the hallway. When I got up to the two stores I snapped a picture of each store. These were taken mere seconds apart. Compare the number of people in each store.
The Apple Store (notice the reflection of the Microsoft logo in the window):
The Microsoft Store:
Apple Stores were a major investment by the company, and Apple deserves their success - they were a risk that most smaller companies could not take. But while I don't deny that some of their official Resellers weren't doing Apple any favours, it really hurt to see "my" two stores close. As has been said above, the smaller Apple Resellers were the ones who knew and loved the products and who kept selling Apple gear in the face of cheaper competition from elsewhere and continually reducing product margins from the mothership. It's just business and economic realities, and, again, the Apple Stores have been successful on the merits, but I will never forget that they cannibalised their Reseller network to gain critical momentum.
In November of 2001, I went to the grand opening of the Apple Store KOP. I went with a friend who did a lot fo AppleScript developing (he later became an independent developer full-time, and now works for Apple). We stood in line, camcorders in hand. It was really a great experience, though no one was really buying anything of consequence.
As the years went on, I started really disliking the stores. A decade later, they were always mobbed. There's no reason to really go there anymore, as everything is online. 20 years ago, going through software titles and accessories was fun. Now that the pandemic is waning in the U.S., perhaps I'll start to enjoy stopping by (which requires going to the mall, something I've not done in probably 2 years).
Some points that I think you forget to include.
1— Around CompuUSA's stores-in-stores they also tried Cafe Mac… where you could connect to the internet.
2— Ron Johnson told a story about he and Steve checking a mockup of the first store built in a secret place… and he told Steve to change everything from… product oriented to ‘appliction’ oriented… devices to photographers, designers, video producer… In the car, Steve yielded to him: “You made me waste 200 hundreds!” When they arrived to the marketing meeting in Cupertino… Steve just said: “Do what he says…” And left the room. That was the beginning of the success!
3— And the same time they developed the mock-up they ask SAP to develop sa sales management system that informed about sales… every 4 minutes. Follow the money!
4— Dell's online site was build on WebObject, a powerful web developing tool from NeXT. When Apple bought NeXT… Dell rebuilt the whole site in other tools.
But the biggest point that I do not see commented is the… great renovation efforts for old and significant places… including the one in London. This is something of the ’intersection of technology with overall ates’ that we do not pay too much attention from Apple.
And finally, my idea of why the Apple Store is successful: The employees advice customers about Apple products… they do not earn money for selling you crap products!
Never would have happened without Steve Jobs the same applies to Steve saying no to Flash......
"Until the other team stops our pick and roll you run it again and again" Jerry Sloan former coach of the Utah Jazz, Apple should do the same "If it ain't broke don't fix it"
If a union can push to get it, companies should be able to push to keep them out. If a union can talk down ("bash") a company, that company should be able to talk down ("bash") a union.
So strange to see these kinds of one-sided things go on in the USA even still. Sure, when the mob was everywhere, it was difficult, but nowadays it would be great to see some actual justice in the cards for entrepreuers, small busiensses, medium businesses, and enterprises, etc.
Oh and here is the real reason why unions suck: A company doesn't have to cave to its little demands. A business can say "no."
And they should.