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Apple Retail Store News Roundup

bedifferent said:
The only issue I would take is with Apple growing too big too quickly. GAP made this mistake with then CEO Mickey Drexler (who has been a director at Apple since 1999 and now CEO of J Crew). GAP grew too big too quickly in the '90's (with Old Navy, GAP, Banana Republic as their core brands) and as such the stock plummeted due to over-saturation. Slow and steady is the key to long term growth.
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Its funny you mentioned that. We called them Gapple's while I worked there. Seemed like every manager worked for the Gap or Pottery Barn.
 
bedifferent said:
The only issue I would take is with Apple growing too big too quickly. GAP made this mistake with then CEO Mickey Drexler (who has been a director at Apple since 1999 and now CEO of J Crew). GAP grew too big too quickly in the '90's (with Old Navy, GAP, Banana Republic as their core brands) and as such the stock plummeted due to over-saturation. Slow and steady is the key to long term growth.
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The difference being that the Gap was a retail company, and apple is a hardware and software company who also owns retail stores to move its own products.

The tail does not wag the dog in this case, so it is not really that similar.
 
ChoMomma said:
Hmmmm do you go to CSUS?
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Yeah, I'm transferring there this fall. Going for business(accounting).

fr33 loader said:
Is this true? I might ask my wife to drop-by because I'm also working that day. Yay, a free shirt.
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Says so in the email I got from Apple.

Come to the new Apple Store, Roseville, and bring your curiosity. It's the best place to learn all about the Mac, check out an iPod, and see all the amazing things an iPhone can do. And if you find something you like, you can even take it home that day. When you get to the store, find our Concierge in the orange shirt. The Concierge is your guide to everything from checking in for an appointment to instant checkout. And if you're one of the first 1000 visitors, you'll get a free Apple T-shirt.*

*No purchase necessary. While supplies last.
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marksman said:
The difference being that the Gap was a retail company, and apple is a hardware and software company who also owns retail stores to move its own products.

The tail does not wag the dog in this case, so it is not really that similar.
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Still, I also think Apple is growing too fast and that's rarely a good thing when it comes down to quality issues and such.
 
I'm looking forward to the Roseville store. Arden Fair is just too far out of the way. Also, for those that don't know, the Roseville/Lincoln, CA areas have been amongst the fastest growing in the nation this century (since 2000).
 
Maybe as long as two months ago, the Cherry Creek location (Denver) closed for about a week to remodel. The new arrangement has an improved feel, good flow (for the casual browser - not so hot for actual transactions), very open.

For starters, they moved all software, mice, keyboards, etc. from 2 rows of chest-high black shelving that ran through the middle of the space, to one tall shelving unit in the back-left corner. This frees up room for maybe six large tables that spaciously display their hardware. Again, feels great. A couple of the tables are dedicated to On-to-One types of services.

They also moved the checkout counter to the back wall, with a single checkout station awkwardly occupying a corner at the Genius Bar (seriously, that name is still embarrassing). There's no way finding that indicates that area as check out, making it a lot less intuitive than it was. Sure, there are the credit card-only roamers, but this location is always so busy, they can be difficult to track down (which is also a good thing, cough - AAPL - cough). As an example, I popped in one eve to grab a wireless keyboard. Knew exactly where it was located, walked right in, grabbed the device and then spent the next 20 minutes trying to give Apple my cash. Kind of annoying.

Other than that, the redux has a great feel and is a much better scenario for the casual browser - which is an important segment on which to focus.
 
Slightly OT but here across the pond in the UK they are opening a store later this year in my home town of Norwich which is about 100 miles East of London.(yay!). They haven't started doing any fitting or building yet so it is still something of a mystery as to exactly where it is going to be but they are recruiting now and I have an interview next week so feeling hopeful :)
 
I wish they would relocate our apple store here in Columbus, It is so small, I have been in bigger convenience stores at gas stations around here.
 
celtikmind said:
Because fulfilling any of the wishes some of their customers actually have been literally screaming for so long I can't remember when I first heard them was never a possibility, or what?

Guess I'm just tired reading about more AppleStore's in the States and so few in Europe. Heck, none at all in Scandinavia. Bleh @ :apple:
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store.apple.com :D
 
sammich said:
5th Avenue...50k per hour...10 MBs, 10 MBPs, 5 MPs, and stacks of iPods, all flying out every hour. How big is the storage area??



Someone has a chip on their shoulder...

But seriously, having just about the most successful retail chain in the world, they can't just sit back and enjoy the money flowing. Waste money? The only money wasted is anything not invested, the investment here is to keep up the foot traffic. First, if sales are slowing down a bit, it's better to do renovations now when it would affect the least people, and second, money spent will flow into the businesses who Apple contracted to do the work.
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Someone cannot take sarcasm to well either, Apple may be on my bad side right now so I can/will take shots them.My poor MBP has never been a complete product(Is still use it though) and I am entitled to being pi$$3d.
 
The Plano, Texas store has already been remodeled. I was in there the other day looking for some Apple DVD's (which they no longer sell). Anyway, I'd say 4/5 of the store now has hardware out in the open on tables. They sectioned off iMacs from Macbooks from iPhones etc. The Genius bar was all the way in back and there were 4 shelf areas back there prob 10 feet long to house accessories, software, hard drives, etc.

It's an ok design, very hardware focused layout. Very simplistic. Interestingly enough, the software section in back was a lot smaller than before. That has me wondering about the possibility of an App Store for Macs - and why not? We can buy all other media as downloads. I see it coming soon...
 
081440 said:
Unfair? Maybe it's called the choice offered by capitalism. and sometimes those who don't have it have to suck it up. I don't think unfair is a fair word at all.
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If Apple is offering free , in person tech support to those with store ( it isn't really "free" you are paying for it with the device. ... or you think Apple is coughing this genius stuff for free; where is your capitalism then). So when there are folks who paid and don't get the service where is the fairness in that?
 
I'm betting that Apple will just open a new store in Syracuse's Carousel Center/DestiNY mall when the new expansion opens up later this year/early next year.

Syracuse's store was one of the first "mini" stores and it is a royal PITA to go into to check out the newest machines or even to buy something.

It's always crowded with teeny boppers messing around with iPods or old folks buying up $3000 in gear and having this completely puzzled look on their face as the Apple sales staff tries to explain to them how to hook up an Airport station.
 
lazyrighteye said:
Maybe as long as two months ago, the Cherry Creek location (Denver) closed for about a week to remodel. The new arrangement has an improved feel, good flow (for the casual browser - not so hot for actual transactions), very open.

For starters, they moved all software, mice, keyboards, etc. from 2 rows of chest-high black shelving that ran through the middle of the space, to one tall shelving unit in the back-left corner. This frees up room for maybe six large tables that spaciously display their hardware. Again, feels great. A couple of the tables are dedicated to On-to-One types of services.

They also moved the checkout counter to the back wall, with a single checkout station awkwardly occupying a corner at the Genius Bar (seriously, that name is still embarrassing). There's no way finding that indicates that area as check out, making it a lot less intuitive than it was. Sure, there are the credit card-only roamers, but this location is always so busy, they can be difficult to track down (which is also a good thing, cough - AAPL - cough). As an example, I popped in one eve to grab a wireless keyboard. Knew exactly where it was located, walked right in, grabbed the device and then spent the next 20 minutes trying to give Apple my cash. Kind of annoying.

Other than that, the redux has a great feel and is a much better scenario for the casual browser - which is an important segment on which to focus.
Click to expand...

That sounds like the Apple Stores in northern Virginia, except every time I've bought something the Apple people have used a wireless device to check me out and e-mailed me my receipt. All they did was go to the back real quick to get me a bag and I was on my way out the door. Pretty cool.
 
Chris Blount said:
Apple already has a store in Sacramento. Seems unfair for a city to have 2 or more stores when many cities have none.
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It's not all that fun really. Don't you know how hard it is to choose between two nearby Apple stores? Hmmm... Decisions....decisions....:p
 
marksman said:
The difference being that the Gap was a retail company, and apple is a hardware and software company who also owns retail stores to move its own products.

The tail does not wag the dog in this case, so it is not really that similar.
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Eh? The Gap didn't sell their own, made-by-contractors clothes?
Cause Apple makes all of their hardware .... hmmm, not.

Yeah there is a difference in that Gap sold clothes and Apple is selling hardware/software. However, what they are doing is not so far apart as you are making it out to be. The difference is that Apple allows other retailers to sell their product. That really doesn't do much for their retail operation. Narrowing down to the retail and company internal roles though... looks alot closer. Throw in website sales and looks even closer.

Even more so since Apple benchmarked themselves against Gap

http://www.ifoapplestore.com/stores/risd_johnson.html

And if recall correctly hired the firm that did construction for Gap for several of the first Apple stores.
 
bedifferent said:
The only issue I would take is with Apple growing too big too quickly. GAP made this mistake with then CEO Mickey Drexler (who has been a director at Apple since 1999 and now CEO of J Crew). GAP grew too big too quickly in the '90's (with Old Navy, GAP, Banana Republic as their core brands) and as such the stock plummeted due to over-saturation. Slow and steady is the key to long term growth.
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True, true, but I'm dreading going there to get my Mom an iPhone next week. (or whenever the new one actually hits shelves). When I got my 3g, the crowd from the store took up like half the mall. Though i guess it is free advertising. People are there for pants and think either there's a riot or new Apple product.
 
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