Some Best Buy stores fitted with snazzy new Apple displays (photos)
Electronics specialty retailer Best Buy, which announced in April that it would be expanding its Mac pilot program to about 200 stores, has begun fitting some of its higher profile locations with radically improved Apple store-within-a-store concepts.
As can be seen in the photos below, isolated Apple display areas have cropped up near the front of some of the retailer's computing departments. A two-foot thick black display wall forms the centerpiece of the layout, packing stereo speakers and an embedded LCD display (or "mini theater") flanked by two glowing Apple logos.
A wooden table, reminiscent of those used in the Cupertino-based Mac makers own retail stores, sits in front of the mini theater. It's stocked with iMac, MacBook and MacBook Pro display units. Power and security cords, like in Apple's own stores, are channeled through recesses within the tables, reducing clutter and minimizing the appearance of wired connections.
It appears that Apple has even taken measures to jazz up Best Buy's ancient looking price tags, concealing them with Apple-branded plastic jackets that can be flipped up to reveal product costs, specifications and steeply priced extended warranty options.
Adjacent to the Apple display tables are shelving units that feature matching planograms for both Apple Peripherals and Apple Accessories. In stock appear to be the usual array of Apple cables, mice, routers and replacement notebook batteries. Those items are joined by a handful of third party offerings such as Iomega's MiniMax and Western Digital's MyBook external hard drives.
Apple and Best Buy have been working to expand the presence of Apple's Mac line at Best Buy outlets since last Spring. The initiative began as a 7-store pilot program on the West Coast and quickly expanded to approximately 50 locations by the Fall. In April, Best Buy used a quarterly conference call to reveal that it, along with Apple, had decided expand the pilot to approximately 200 of its stores by the fall of 2007.
Investment bank Morgan Stanley has said that a full expansion of the pilot to all of Best Buy's stores could generate as much as $400 million in additional Mac sales for Apple each year.
Apple is also running a similar, albeit smaller, pilot at Circuit City retail outlets located on the East Coast.
As can be seen in the photos below, isolated Apple display areas have cropped up near the front of some of the retailer's computing departments. A two-foot thick black display wall forms the centerpiece of the layout, packing stereo speakers and an embedded LCD display (or "mini theater") flanked by two glowing Apple logos.
A wooden table, reminiscent of those used in the Cupertino-based Mac makers own retail stores, sits in front of the mini theater. It's stocked with iMac, MacBook and MacBook Pro display units. Power and security cords, like in Apple's own stores, are channeled through recesses within the tables, reducing clutter and minimizing the appearance of wired connections.
It appears that Apple has even taken measures to jazz up Best Buy's ancient looking price tags, concealing them with Apple-branded plastic jackets that can be flipped up to reveal product costs, specifications and steeply priced extended warranty options.
Adjacent to the Apple display tables are shelving units that feature matching planograms for both Apple Peripherals and Apple Accessories. In stock appear to be the usual array of Apple cables, mice, routers and replacement notebook batteries. Those items are joined by a handful of third party offerings such as Iomega's MiniMax and Western Digital's MyBook external hard drives.
Apple and Best Buy have been working to expand the presence of Apple's Mac line at Best Buy outlets since last Spring. The initiative began as a 7-store pilot program on the West Coast and quickly expanded to approximately 50 locations by the Fall. In April, Best Buy used a quarterly conference call to reveal that it, along with Apple, had decided expand the pilot to approximately 200 of its stores by the fall of 2007.
Investment bank Morgan Stanley has said that a full expansion of the pilot to all of Best Buy's stores could generate as much as $400 million in additional Mac sales for Apple each year.
Apple is also running a similar, albeit smaller, pilot at Circuit City retail outlets located on the East Coast.
Comments
I like the idea of expanding where you can look at an Apple. Curious if costumers will be able to connect to the internet with these machines like you can in the Apple store or CAN'T (couldn't) in CompUSA.
It appears that Apple has even taken measures to jazz up Best Buy's ancient looking price tags, concealing them with Apple-branded plastic jackets that can be flipped up to reveal product costs, specifications and steeply priced extended warranty options.
Nice "feature."
You better have PLENTY of "information" cards laying on the display tables because the idiots working at Best Buy wouldn't know the difference between an Apple Computer and an Apple Pie.
I like the idea of expanding where you can look at an Apple. Curious if costumers will be able to connect to the internet with these machines like you can in the Apple store or CAN'T (couldn't) in CompUSA.
Was just in one of these updated Best Buy stores (Livingston, NJ) two days ago, and you *can* connect to the Internet.
Still, it's a pretty small island of Apple in the store, and without a dedicated sales rep standing by (no one was anywhere in sight when I visited) it doesn't yet provide an Apple store-level experience.
Electronics specialty retailer Best Buy, which announced in April that it would be expanding its Mac pilot program to about 200 stores, has begun fitting some of its higher profile locations with radically improved Apple store-within-a-store concepts.
As can be seen in the photos below, isolated Apple display areas have cropped up near the front of some of the retailer's computing departments. A two-foot thick black display wall forms the centerpiece of the layout, packing stereo speakers and an embedded LCD display (or "mini theater") flanked by two glowing Apple logos.
A wooden table, reminiscent of those used in the Cupertino-based Mac makers own retail stores, sits in front of the mini theater. It's stocked with iMac, MacBook and MacBook Pro display units. Power and security chords, like in Apple's own stores, are channeled through recesses within the tables, reducing clutter and minimizing the appearance of wired connections.
It appears that Apple has even taken measures to jazz up Best Buy's ancient looking price tags, concealing them with Apple-branded plastic jackets that can be flipped up to reveal product costs, specifications and steeply priced extended warranty options.
Adjacent to the Apple display tables are shelving units that feature matching planograms for both Apple Peripherals and Apple Accessories. In stock appear to be the usual array of Apple cables, mice, routers and replacement notebook batteries. Those items are joined by a handful of third party offerings such as Iomega's MiniMax and Western Digital's MyBook external hard drives.
Apple and Best Buy have been working to expand the presence of Apple's Mac line at Best Buy outlets since last Spring. The initiative began as a 7-store pilot program on the West Coast and quickly expanded to approximately 50 locations by the Fall. In April, Best Buy used a quarterly conference call to reveal that it, along with Apple, had decided expand the pilot to approximately 200 of its stores by the fall of 2007.
Investment bank Morgan Stanley has said that a full expansion of the pilot to all of Best Buy's stores could generate as much as $400 million in additional Mac sales for Apple each year.
Apple is also running a similar, albeit smaller, pilot at Circuit City retail outlets located on the East Coast.
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It should be "power cords" NOT "power chords" !
It should be "power cords" NOT "power chords" !
I don't know, a C power chord can sound great sometimes!
True, it's still better to go to an Apple store if possible. But for me the Best Buy is one hour away and the nearest Apple store is about 1.5 to 2 hours away.
Let's hope the stores will hire Apple trained staff to sell the Apple products.
I wonder how long it's going to take for the iPhone to start popping up at bestbuys. We've already seen some advertising from bestbuy stores in Canada for it.
It appears that Apple has even taken measures to jazz up Best Buy's ancient looking price tags, concealing them with Apple-branded plastic jackets that can be flipped up to reveal product costs, specifications and steeply priced extended warranty options.
OH DEAR...I hope Apple didnt give up control of the warrenty experiance to BB...a BB extended warenty would be HORRIBLE comapred to applecare.
I don't know, a C power chord can sound great sometimes!
He's being sarcastic over power chords being incorrect when the first response discussed costumers as the target market.
Was just in one of these updated Best Buy stores (Livingston, NJ) two days ago, and you *can* connect to the Internet.
because the internet can answer n00b questions so well...like "wheres the start button" "wheres the internet (ref to the explorer icon)"...and other gems that people have asked in the Apple store...just while I was there
There are plenty of Best Buys around me and I'm surprised that 95% of the employees can figure out the time clock. So good luck getting your questions answered. I hope that Apple is going to stock the counters with their own emplyees.
I can also see the upside. I live in NY and I'm no more than 20 minutes from 3 Apple Stores. Image what it would be like trying to get your hands on a new Mac for a test drive without being able to go to an Apple store. Maybe with Best Buy, there will be that many more stores that you can go into and test drive a Mac. You'll just have to help yourself.
CompUSA is good for network stuff and that is it. I would gladly go to Best Buy (run by dummies) because the Comp in area sucks.
However, I go to the Apple store first.
They already tried that at CompUSA and .....Sears, was it? Anyway, it starts out looking great. and after a few weeks it looks like crap. All the CompUSA stores that used to be by me looked like "who did it and ran". There's not a single employee over the age of 15 and no one knows jack about computers, not just Mac, but Mac and PC. Maybe you could find someone who knew a litttle about PCs, but no one ever knew about the Macs. Once I walked into a CompuUSA and was surprised to find an actual Apple emplyee there, and an adult too! Too bad he was only there for a week.
There are plenty of Best Buys around me and I'm surprised that 95% of the employees can figure out the time clock. So good luck getting your questions answered. I hope that Apple is going to stock the counters with their own emplyees.
I can also see the upside. I live in NY and I'm no more than 20 minutes from 3 Apple Stores. Image what it would be like trying to get your hands on a new Mac for a test drive without being able to go to an Apple store. Maybe with Best Buy, there will be that many more stores that you can go into and test drive a Mac. You'll just have to help yourself.
I think the upside is that people that live in smaller suburbs (or small towns) with Wal-Marts, Targets, and Best Buys only will get a chance to see a mac up close and personal. I have some family that lives in the "CENTRAL ILLINOIS AREA" that will never see an Apple Store go up by them, but if you drive 30 minutes in any direction, you will eventually hit a Best Buy.
Most people thinking about buying a mac already look at them online on their current computer. It's usually just a matter of making sure they are still going to be able to visit their favorite websites and check their email. Hopefully the clerks at Best Buy understand that Microsoft office is available without installing boot camp and Windows. My poor mother (who knows very little about computers) argued with a clerk for 10 minutes trying to explain that she wouldn't need to buy windows to use office. Idiots... seriously...
On the other hand, if you have a Fry's Electronics, the Apple section of the store is the only slightly organized portion of the store. There is hope.
Also, to answer the question of the woman in the 4th photo: those are stacks of blank DVDs!