How Steve Jobs changed the face of retail with the Apple Store

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 66
    sdbryansdbryan Posts: 351member
    jorgie said:
    Headlines like this are why people call Apple a cult...
    2. Not only did Apple not change the *face of retail*...
    You know, you can praise the things you like that Apple has done without using hyperbole every time...
    Speaking of hyperbole, your reaction is a bit over the top. I would not agree with the headline. Apple changed the face of ‘computer retail’ and especially ‘Apple retail’, but retail is enormous and most of it still sucks.

     I think an implied thesis of the article is that the decision to invest in the creation of a ‘new’ type of retail store specifically for Apple products is crucial to understanding why Apple is currently the most successful company. Normally we think in terms of technology and design. But could Apple have achieved its unprecedented level of growth by depending on the likes of Best Buy, CompUSA, etc to see and buy Apple products?

    I remember computer retail before the Apple Store. It was miserable and Apple products almost always got the short end of the stick. Based on the results, I think it is hard to overstate the importance of the decision that only Steve Jobs could make to go all in on building Apple retail.
    tmaynetmagefastasleepwatto_cobraronnspock1234jony0
  • Reply 22 of 66
    jorgiejorgie Posts: 38member
    Beats being a hater looking to find fault with things and tossing out the same old, tired, troll tropes -- "But it's a cult!" "You drank the kool-aid!" etc. Tired and boring.
    Talk about old, tired tropes.. Steve has been dead for how long and people are still pretending the selfish asshole walked on water. 
    edited May 2018
  • Reply 23 of 66
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,402member
    jorgie said:
    Beats being a hater looking to find fault with things and tossing out the same old, tired, troll tropes -- "But it's a cult!" "You drank the kool-aid!" etc. Tired and boring.
    Talk about old, tired tropes.. Steve has been dead for how long and people are still pretending that selfish asshole walked on water. 
    If anyone seems to be having trouble getting over someone “dead for how long” it really seems to be you. 

    Grow up/get over it/move on/whatever. 
    opa karlradarthekatStrangeDayshammeroftruthnetmagekimberlyfastasleepking editor the gratemuthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobra
  • Reply 24 of 66
    nunzynunzy Posts: 662member
    tmay said:
    jorgie said:
    tmay said:.

    Apple build a complete store inside a warehouse to simulate an actual store; that was certainly approved by Steve.

    That isn't something that is typical, and it was certainly due to Ron Johnson being hired by Steve Jobs, and Steve Jobs certainly had a hand in the design decisions. No one pretends that Steve did it in a vacuum, but he was certainly in charge, so, as they say, the "buck" stopped with him.

    Certainly, Apple stores are considered the highest earning by square foot of retail space, so yeah, Apple is a little bit beyond all of the "boutiques" that came before it.

    What does that have to do with anything? The headline is bullshit, Apple stores did not *change the face of retail*. At all. Being more successful at using the age-old boutique style store does not make your version new or innovative.
    Nice retort!

    https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/29/here-are-the-retailers-that-make-the-most-money-per-square-foot-on-their-real-estate.html

    The fact that Apple's retail success is so exceptional, and for such a long period of time, seems to bear out the truth in the headlines, yet you provide no examples of your own to prove that Apple is only "a little bit beyond all of the boutiques that came before it". 

    Not your best effort.
    That's what these guys don't understand. Apple makes more than even Tiffany's. Low cost, high prices, huge margins.

    Apple slays at retail. Retail will never be the same.
    radarthekatnetmagefastasleepjony0ronn[Deleted User]
  • Reply 25 of 66
    tmaytmay Posts: 6,293member
    jorgie said:
    Beats being a hater looking to find fault with things and tossing out the same old, tired, troll tropes -- "But it's a cult!" "You drank the kool-aid!" etc. Tired and boring.
    Talk about old, tired tropes.. Steve has been dead for how long and people are still pretending the selfish asshole walked on water. 
    I myself have given up thinking that you are anything other than a dick, but, of course, that is only my humble opinion reinforced by actually having read all of your previous posts.

    Still, it would be a low blow on my part to compare the success of Apple's retail stores with Microsoft's retail stores, so, I won't. because all boutique stores are the same in your world.
    edited May 2018 RonnnieOradarthekatStrangeDaysnetmagebestkeptsecretfastasleepwatto_cobraronnspock1234
  • Reply 26 of 66
    radarthekatradarthekat Posts: 3,834moderator
    Apple stores not only inspired attempted copying by competitors, they became the model for Apple authorized resellers, like the iStore chain here in the Philippines.
    StrangeDaysfastasleepwatto_cobraronnjony0
  • Reply 27 of 66
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    jorgie said:
    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 first to 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.
    1. Really? I thought Apple was just Jobs and robots. No shite. No one thought Jobs did every thing himself but he approved the concept and the design. 

    2. Apple wasnt the first to do pretty much anything but what they did do change the respective industries. 
    fastasleepwatto_cobraronnjony0cgWerks
  • Reply 28 of 66
    tzeshantzeshan Posts: 2,351member
    Apple Stores succeeded because of Apple innovation.  The others cannot match it. Every time Apple announced a new product, I went to Apple Store to feel it, to take a look. This is the excitement of innovation. You went to a Microsoft Store. Do you have any feeling of innovation? Apple Store is not just a store for high priced items.  There are many other reasons for Apple Store.  To save time I will not say it now. 
    watto_cobraronnjony0
  • Reply 29 of 66
    abrilonabrilon Posts: 2member
    Great article! However, there are a few inaccuracies...

    1. Tysons has no apostrophe. It's "Tysons Corner"
    2. I do not know where you're getting "Apple designated first and second store" from. If you're referring to the retail number, then yes, Glendale is R001, but Tysons is R010 - those numbers have nothing to do with first, second, etc. they only refer to the order in which lease agreements were signed - so yes, there were eight store leases signed before Tysons.
    3. Tysons Corner IS the first Apple Store - Tysons and Glendale, as you said, opened on the same day, but East Coast is three hours ahead - so for all intents and purposes, Tysons is the first Apple Store. Why do you think Steve made the video there? Haha.

    Thanks!
    -Former Tysons employee
    fastasleepanantksundaramwatto_cobraronn
  • Reply 30 of 66
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,821member
    metrix said:
    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"
    Yes, the concept of a store is basically the same for thousands of years — place where people gather to buy shit they want. What are you asking to Cook to do, considering it’s already the most profitable store in human history?
    netmagefastasleepwatto_cobramacplusplusronnjony0
  • Reply 31 of 66
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,821member
    jorgie said:
    Beats being a hater looking to find fault with things and tossing out the same old, tired, troll tropes -- "But it's a cult!" "You drank the kool-aid!" etc. Tired and boring.
    Talk about old, tired tropes.. Steve has been dead for how long and people are still pretending the selfish asshole walked on water. 
    Here’s another tired trope - neckbeard techno priest is mad at Apple. 
    edited May 2018 tmaynetmagefastasleepmacxpresswatto_cobramacpluspluslkruppronnspock1234jony0
  • Reply 32 of 66
    wandersowanderso Posts: 116member
    The stores were (and are) so important.  I purchased macs over the years from The Computer Store, CompUSA, Fry's Electronics, PowerMax, The Mac Store, Apple.com, MacWarehouse, FutureShop, PowerMacPac, and the Apple Store. Notice that some of those are now defunct.  The independent, dedicated stores selling Macs didn't have the quality of store displays, but were enjoyable to purchase from and kept the Mac alive in the dark days.  Most are gone now, but a few key remain. 
    watto_cobracgWerks
  • Reply 33 of 66
    hammeroftruthhammeroftruth Posts: 1,302member
    jorgie said:
    Beats being a hater looking to find fault with things and tossing out the same old, tired, troll tropes -- "But it's a cult!" "You drank the kool-aid!" etc. Tired and boring.
    Talk about old, tired tropes.. Steve has been dead for how long and people are still pretending the selfish asshole walked on water. 
    Here’s another tired trope - neckbeard techno priest is mad at Apple. 
    Well yeah his beloved Compusa is gone. No more computer store that smells like cheetos and sweat. 
    Damn Apple!!
    StrangeDayswatto_cobraronnspock1234
  • Reply 34 of 66
    CheeseFreezeCheeseFreeze Posts: 1,246member
    Steve Jobs was such a great presenter. Even here he manages to tell the idea behind the store very clearly, in a simple way, enthusiastic and comes across as symphatetic.

    The old store concept seems more fun. The stores I see are sterile. Just wooded tables with products in a row. Nothing for kids, everything dedicated to show a bunch of products. 
    cgWerks
  • Reply 35 of 66
    bestkeptsecretbestkeptsecret Posts: 4,265member
    Steve Jobs was such a great presenter. Even here he manages to tell the idea behind the store very clearly, in a simple way, enthusiastic and comes across as symphatetic.

    The old store concept seems more fun. The stores I see are sterile. Just wooded tables with products in a row. Nothing for kids, everything dedicated to show a bunch of products. 

    If only Steve were alive, right?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 36 of 66
    claire1claire1 Posts: 510unconfirmed, member
    Up Next: Apple Cafes. Buy Starbucks and make it happen.

    jorgie said:
    Beats being a hater looking to find fault with things and tossing out the same old, tired, troll tropes -- "But it's a cult!" "You drank the kool-aid!" etc. Tired and boring.
    Talk about old, tired tropes.. Steve has been dead for how long and people are still pretending the selfish asshole walked on water. 

    Troll is using his android iPhoney to type mad words!
    fastasleepwatto_cobramacplusplusronnjony0
  • Reply 37 of 66
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,398member
    Steve Jobs was such a great presenter. Even here he manages to tell the idea behind the store very clearly, in a simple way, enthusiastic and comes across as symphatetic.

    The old store concept seems more fun. The stores I see are sterile. Just wooded tables with products in a row. Nothing for kids, everything dedicated to show a bunch of products. 
    There’s a kid’s table covered in iPads at the one I go to. ”Everything dedicated to show a bunch of products” is pretty much what a store is, no? It’s not an amusement park. 
    StrangeDayswatto_cobraronnspock1234
  • Reply 38 of 66
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,267member
    I agree that the article gives way too much credit to Jobs and not enough to Johnson and Ive and the many others who helped flesh out the concept and did all the hard work to make it happen. The headline is also ridiculous; Apple changed their retail forever, you might even say that it changed computer retail in a very big way, but all retail is just ... wankery.

    That said, I salute AI and DED for remembering the anniversary and commemorating it. Among Apple's many successes (and occasional failures) is generally the element of risk (big, like the iPhone, or small, like the Apple TV). The Apple Stores are generally a much-overlooked huge success -- and unlike most of Apple's others successes, has yet to be successfully copied (looking at you, Samsung and Microsoft and Sony) ...
    cgWerks
  • Reply 39 of 66
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,837administrator
    chasm said:
    I agree that the article gives way too much credit to Jobs and not enough to Johnson and Ive and the many others who helped flesh out the concept and did all the hard work to make it happen. The headline is also ridiculous; Apple changed their retail forever, you might even say that it changed computer retail in a very big way, but all retail is just ... wankery.

    That said, I salute AI and DED for remembering the anniversary and commemorating it. Among Apple's many successes (and occasional failures) is generally the element of risk (big, like the iPhone, or small, like the Apple TV). The Apple Stores are generally a much-overlooked huge success -- and unlike most of Apple's others successes, has yet to be successfully copied (looking at you, Samsung and Microsoft and Sony) ...
    Not Dan.
    ronncgWerks
  • Reply 40 of 66
    CheeseFreezeCheeseFreeze Posts: 1,246member
    Steve Jobs was such a great presenter. Even here he manages to tell the idea behind the store very clearly, in a simple way, enthusiastic and comes across as symphatetic.

    The old store concept seems more fun. The stores I see are sterile. Just wooded tables with products in a row. Nothing for kids, everything dedicated to show a bunch of products. 
    There’s a kid’s table covered in iPads at the one I go to. ”Everything dedicated to show a bunch of products” is pretty much what a store is, no? It’s not an amusement park. 
    Just for your information, an amusement park is where you buy a ticket and find attractions, such as a rollercoaster, an arcade, slides. And you can eat things like ice cream, fries. People stand in line for attractions.

    Just so you know, considering the fact you are implying I was referring to an Apple Store having to be an amusement park. You’re so hard trying to interpret my message in a wrong way, it’s almost cute. Almost.
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