Apple Store Modernization Efforts Continue From Los Angeles to London

[MacRumors]

Apple's process of modernizing its chain of over 500 retail stores continues in several major cities around the world.

Over the weekend, Apple celebrated the grand opening of its relocated Beverly Center store in Los Angeles. Apple's original store in the shopping mall, opened November 2005, permanently closed at the end of Friday.

Apple's new Beverly Center store via Instagram​

Apple's remodeled stores often gain additional square footage to accommodate an increased number of both products and customers. The extra space is also beneficial to Today at Apple sessions related to photography, coding, exercising with the Apple Watch, and other topics.

Apple's latest retail design, introduced in 2015, typically includes large glass doors, large video screens for product marketing and in-store events, and sequoia wood shelves on the walls for accessories.

Apple recently announced that its flagship Covent Garden store in London will be closed starting June 27 to allow for renovations to be completed. Of note, this location became Apple's largest store when it first opened in 2010, although it has since ceded the title to a newer store in the United Arab Emirates.

A sign at Apple Covent Garden tipped by a MacRumors reader​

Likewise, 9to5Mac's Michael Steeber reported that Apple Wangfujing in Beijing will be closed for renovations starting June 24.

Elsewhere in the Greater China region, Apple has revealed that it will be opening a second store in Macau, along the Cotai Strip, an area with several hotels, casinos, and resorts, earning it the nickname of the Las Vegas of Asia. Apple has yet to specify an exact opening date, but it could be within the next month.

Apple's banner for its second store in Macau via MacRumors reader Chris Gooda​

Apple's renovation efforts continue at its iconic Fifth Avenue store in Manhattan, and at its Palo Alto store, often visited by Apple CEO Tim Cook on product launch days due to its close proximity to Apple's headquarters.

Apple reinstalling its glass cube on Fifth Avenue via MacRumors reader David Bills​

Other regional stores closed for renovations include locations in Charlotte, Nashville, and Westchester County north of New York City.

Update: As noted by a MacRumors reader, Apple Causeway Bay in Hong Kong is also undergoing renovations, although the store remains open.

Update 2: Apple has announced on its store page for the Cotai Central location in Macau that the grand opening will be June 29.

Article Link: Apple Store Modernization Efforts Continue From Los Angeles to London

 

[Mic'sBook]

Apple Causeway Bay (Hysan Place)
Taken in Hong Kong in late May

 

[citysnaps]

I'm looking forward to seeing the downtown Palo Alto store after it reopens. It's been closed for awhile - seems like more than a month.

 

[matt_and_187_like_this]

apple's product changes have been so miniscule in the past years that the value of these stores has decreased significantly. for me it is basically zero.

 

[Iphtashu Fitz]

I'm looking forward to seeing the downtown Palo Alto store after it reopens. It's been closed for awhile - seems like more than a month.

The one near me (Burlington, MA) was closed for something like 4-6 months, so don't hold your breath.

 

[ChrisCW11]

You can tell its modern by how white the walls are and how little products are on display.

 

[Baymowe335]

apple's product changes have been so miniscule in the past years that the value of these stores has decreased significantly. for me it is basically zero.

I guess you haven't really paid attention to all the changes they've made or they aren't valuable to you? Doesn't mean the changes have been "miniscule" to others or that the value of the stores has decreased.

The entire company is more valuable today than ever before, so it kind of refutes your thesis.

 

[RogerWilco]

Extra floor space => Less in-store service for devices, fewer tech personnel
Video displays => No need for customers to actually touch products, just a place to buy them

 

[imageWIS]

I guess you haven't really paid attention to all the changes they've made or they aren't valuable to you? Doesn't mean the changes have been "miniscule" to others or that the value of the stores has decreased.

The entire company is more valuable today than ever before, so it kind of refutes your thesis.

The value of the company and how good it's products are aren't mutually inclusive. matt_and_187_like_this is correct that Apple's product changes especially in regards to Mac have been demonstrably non-innovative and utterly lackluster since the round Mac Pro came out in 2013.

 

[BrettArchibald]

You can tell its modern by how white the walls are and how little products are on display.

"How white the walls are..."

 

[doctor-don]

What? No LIST?

 

[bjjp2]

Westchester County is not "upstate New York." It's a generally affluent suburb of New York City. No New Yorker would call it "upstate." Just sayin. Edit: and the actual store, in White Plains, is about 20 miles from Manhattan.

 

[Vjosullivan]

...the actual store, in White Plains, is about 20 miles from Manhattan.

20 miles? Boondock country.

 

[Baymowe335]

The value of the company and how good it's products are aren't mutually inclusive. matt_and_187_like_this is correct that Apple's product changes especially in regards to Mac have been demonstrably non-innovative and utterly lackluster since the round Mac Pro came out in 2013.

Great products mean great sales, period. "Innovation" can be garbage too. Innovation doesn't necessarily make a great product.

A few innovative items:

• iPhone X
• Airpods
• Apple Watch with cellular
• A-Series Silicon
• FaceID
• Privacy/Security (Bugs are fixed, don't start saying these aren't industry leading)

Mac innovation isn't going to be as obvious because the product life cycle is longer and the size of the business is relatively smaller. Computers/Laptops are going to get updated processors and software, but they aren't going to move as fast as mobile and wearables.

I think Apple has done a phenomenal job managing the business. You don't innovate so fast that you lose sales. You slowly release features and market them to maximize sales. That's business. It's working, btw. If people buy and are satisfied with incremental innovations, it is smarter to release them as needed and when the features are fully vetted...not just innovating to innovate.

 

[citysnaps]

Great products mean great sales, period. "Innovation" can be garbage too. Innovation doesn't necessarily make a great product.

A few innovative items:

• iPhone X
• Airpods
• Apple Watch with cellular
• A-Series Silicon
• FaceID
• Privacy/Security (Bugs are fixed, don't start saying these aren't industry leading)

Mac innovation isn't going to be as obvious because the product life cycle is longer and the size of the business is relatively smaller. Computers/Laptops are going to get updated processors and software, but they aren't going to move as fast as mobile and wearables.

I think Apple has done a phenomenal job managing the business. You don't innovate so fast that you lose sales. You slowly release features and market them to maximize sales. That's business. It's working, btw. If people buy and are satisfied with incremental innovations, it is smarter to release them as needed and when the features are fully vetted...not just innovating to innovate.

And to that I'd add MBPs with four ports of prodigious bandwidth multipurpose 40 Gb/sec Thunderbolt 3, 5K iMac displays with DCI-P3 color gamut, iMac Pro, Homepod, and ARKit.

In many ways, Apple is beholden to Intel. I suspect that will change within the next two years.

 

[kemal]

Apple just seem inconsistent in their ability to develop product. How is it possible to have the talent to manage retail, develop audio products, nearly best in class security, still nearly great software, etc. and can't make a G D'ed new Mac mini? Have a B team make Performa machines for those who just need computers. Have the A team create the insanely great things like .... were still waiting.

 

[now i see it]

? ?

 

[Substance90]

How do you tell if a company has too much money - they redesign all of their already exuberantly expensive stores almost every year.

 

[HarryWild]

Visiting different Apple stores in different neighborhoods, Apple stores follow Starbuck coffee shops, they remodel their stores based on the affluence of the neighborhood. For example, middle class neighborhood Starbuck stores get only cheap wood lounge chairs and used tables that rock and chairs that need repair while affluent neighborhoods get $3,500 dark brown leather lounge chairs with custom round coffee tables and matching side tables, rot iron chairs and tables with dark chocolate table tops.

 

[weckart]

They may as well rebrand Apple Stores as Carphone Warehouses. Everything else takes a back seat.

 

[Joe Rossignol]

Westchester County is not "upstate New York." It's a generally affluent suburb of New York City. No New Yorker would call it "upstate." Just sayin. Edit: and the actual store, in White Plains, is about 20 miles from Manhattan.

Saw your comment and changed it.

 

[dirtymagician]

I really like the Covent Garden store the way it is, oh well

 

[Keirasplace]

The value of the company and how good it's products are aren't mutually inclusive. matt_and_187_like_this is correct that Apple's product changes especially in regards to Mac have been demonstrably non-innovative and utterly lackluster since the round Mac Pro came out in 2013.

You're desingenous so I cant take anything you say seriously considering what came out since then.

With Apple's relatively low PE ratio, that seemingly follows profits/revenues unlike other tech companies and Apple's margins, there is a link.

Company Valuation for a company that's a thriving concern = present value of future cash streams with irr X.
You can't keep up this high cash flow with current margins and you can't keep current margins without innovation, good service and generally good products.

Unless you think people with the highest demos (Apple clients) all only idiots (except you off course...) while buying Apple products and going against their best interests in doing so.

It's simple, you can't charge a high margin for a very long time if people think your product is "crap" or "bad": that's it.
Any other definition you pull out of your rump doesn't matter to business, innovation and economics.

 

[Baymowe335]

And to that I'd add MBPs with four ports of prodigious bandwidth multipurpose 40 Gb/sec Thunderbolt 3, 5K iMac displays with DCI-P3 color gamut, iMac Pro, Homepod, and ARKit.

In many ways, Apple is beholden to Intel. I suspect that will change within the next two years.

Exactly. That's the other thing at play. There is an overall strategy in motion that hasn't been fully realized, and you can bet Apple's reliance on Intel is coming to an end.

Your mentions are certainly valid and do show innovation. Mine list was just a few examples. The problem with the "haters" and naysayers here is they pick and choose what they think constitutes innovation. If said person doesn't like FaceID, HomePod, AirPods, etc. or thinks 5K iMac displays don't matter, they say Apple isn't innovative enough.

What everyone needs to realize is innovation doesn't start and end with you. It's a process that spans all products at different times and in different ways. Not all innovation will matter to each individual user.
[doublepost=1528740304][/doublepost]

Apple just seem inconsistent in their ability to develop product. How is it possible to have the talent to manage retail, develop audio products, nearly best in class security, still nearly great software, etc. and can't make a G D'ed new Mac mini? Have a B team make Performa machines for those who just need computers. Have the A team create the insanely great things like .... were still waiting.

Apple has developed the greatest product of all time, the most popular watch, the most popular wireless headphones, the most popular tablet, etc. What are you talking about specifically, just the Mac Mini? Again, the Mac Mini doesn't define Apple's ability to develop winning products.

You guys are all the same. You pick something YOU want and if they don't do it, they can't develop a product. They can't innovate.

You need to have a larger, big picture view.

 

[jjhny]

I haven't been in one for a while. Rarely anything interesting to see. Unless you like looking at phones. They used to have a range of products that weren't little handhelds.

When I drive past I also notice less people in the stores than there used to be.