Apple unveils new "mini" retail store design
Apple's smaller gadget boutiques will embrace a design similar to the company's current product offerings.
Apple today unveiled its new "mini" retail store, an all-new design featuring stainless steel walls and seamless white floors and ceilings. The mini store is half the size of Apple?s smallest store to date, which will allow it to be placed in a variety of new locations to introduce Apple's products to even more customers, the company said.
The first six mini stores will open this Saturday at 10 a.m. in Palo Alto, CA; San Jose, CA; Santa Rosa, CA; Tukwila, WA; Bridgewater, NJ; and Rockaway, NJ.
Apple chief executive Steve Jobs attended Thursday's news conference to unveil one of the new Apple stores at a shopping mall near Palo Alto, marking his first public appearance since he underwent a successful operation on his pancreas in late July.
"I'm back, I'm back," Jobs told the Associated Press with a smile shortly after pulling open a black curtain to reveal the sleek new store.
Alongside Jobs at the conference was Apple Retail vice president Ron Johnson, who at one point noted that the new store design was roughly the same size as retail outlets in airports, suggesting that future airport-based Apple stores could become a convenience for traveling shoppers.
During the first three years of Apple?s retail strategy, Apple has located 84 retail stores in the United States and today over half of the US population lives within 15 minutes of an Apple retail store, according to Apple research. The mini store is designed to precisely locate additional stores closer to customers to make it even more convenience to purchase products and get help.
Apple's new Apple mini stores will feature a full line of iPods, laptops and the iMac G5 desktop. In addition, the stores will offer an assortment of the best third party products, on-site repair on all Apple products, and a minature Mac Genius Bar where anyone can get their questions answered by an Apple "Genius."
Since the opening of the first Apple retail store in May 2001, Apple retail stores have attracted almost 50 million visitors and recently generated revenues of almost $1.2 billion in the company?s 2004 fiscal year.
In addition to opening six mini Apple retail stores, Apple is also opening a retail store this Saturday in Newark, DE. A complete list of Apple's 93 retail locations can be found at the company's retail web site.
Apple today unveiled its new "mini" retail store, an all-new design featuring stainless steel walls and seamless white floors and ceilings. The mini store is half the size of Apple?s smallest store to date, which will allow it to be placed in a variety of new locations to introduce Apple's products to even more customers, the company said.
The first six mini stores will open this Saturday at 10 a.m. in Palo Alto, CA; San Jose, CA; Santa Rosa, CA; Tukwila, WA; Bridgewater, NJ; and Rockaway, NJ.
Apple chief executive Steve Jobs attended Thursday's news conference to unveil one of the new Apple stores at a shopping mall near Palo Alto, marking his first public appearance since he underwent a successful operation on his pancreas in late July.
"I'm back, I'm back," Jobs told the Associated Press with a smile shortly after pulling open a black curtain to reveal the sleek new store.
Alongside Jobs at the conference was Apple Retail vice president Ron Johnson, who at one point noted that the new store design was roughly the same size as retail outlets in airports, suggesting that future airport-based Apple stores could become a convenience for traveling shoppers.
During the first three years of Apple?s retail strategy, Apple has located 84 retail stores in the United States and today over half of the US population lives within 15 minutes of an Apple retail store, according to Apple research. The mini store is designed to precisely locate additional stores closer to customers to make it even more convenience to purchase products and get help.
Apple's new Apple mini stores will feature a full line of iPods, laptops and the iMac G5 desktop. In addition, the stores will offer an assortment of the best third party products, on-site repair on all Apple products, and a minature Mac Genius Bar where anyone can get their questions answered by an Apple "Genius."
Since the opening of the first Apple retail store in May 2001, Apple retail stores have attracted almost 50 million visitors and recently generated revenues of almost $1.2 billion in the company?s 2004 fiscal year.
In addition to opening six mini Apple retail stores, Apple is also opening a retail store this Saturday in Newark, DE. A complete list of Apple's 93 retail locations can be found at the company's retail web site.
Comments
Originally posted by Xtremehkr
I'm going to miss the days when being an Apple user offered a feeling of exclusivity. Sure, it's a bold prediction, why not.
You could always have all of your Apple gear customized. :]
No eMac's in that store!
Apple are discontinuing it! I knew it!
Originally posted by CrunchinJelly
Wait a minute!
No eMac's in that store!
Apple are discontinuing it! I knew it!
Wait a minute!
No Power Macs in that store!...
I sure hope they add some stickers or something
Originally posted by applenut
pretty cool that it is a self-checkout system. I've used this at Home Depot and it works fairly well.
Interesting...my luck at Home Depot (the few times I've been forced into that den of fascists, but I digress) is that the self checkout system blows goats. Every single checkout operation is akin to a register-trainee on her first day...
Originally posted by deepkid
You could always have all of your Apple gear customized. :]
That's a good idea, maybe something someone else is working on. Those colored iMacs that I saw linked somewhere here were pretty cool. Though I bet the product lineup would expand if Apple really became a hit.
(how many stores does Cali need, anyway?)
Originally posted by Carson O'Genic
Apple stores at airports with free "airport" and internet access would quickly become very popular IMHO.
i thought the same thing, just selling travel peripherals, though i would also like some coffee area, too.
Originally posted by iPoster
Hmmm, interesting. Maybe they will finallly open an Apple store in the state of SC someday!
(how many stores does Cali need, anyway?)
Lots, there's nearly 35 million of us.
1) Employees enticing people as they walk by the store to come in and try an iPod. Have dummy iTMS accounts setup so people can buy songs from the Apple store right there onto a store demo machine and iPod. There are so many people I still meet who know that the iPod has something to do with music and that everyone wants one but they "don't understand where the music goes/comes from"
2) A token Dell peecee running XP and IE connected to the Net left unattended. Customers are encouraged to give it a whirl without comment.
Originally posted by Tuttle
2) A token Dell peecee running XP and IE connected to the Net left unattended. Customers are encouraged to give it a whirl without comment. [/B]
Place it in a poorly lit corner, facing a wall, with a dunce hat on.
i really have to go to one some time..
I think airports could be a great idea, people seem to be more tempted to impulse buy when they're in one... or maybe that's just me. Plus when you're traveling you realize how you need a case for this and an accessory for that.
We need Apple stores in Toronto. One in the Eaton's Center and one on Bloor St. in Yorkville.
Originally posted by Tuttle
Hmm, the word 'sterile' comes to mind.
Wonder if they brought Howard Hughes back from the dead and consulted him.