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EspañolAPPLE STORE (RETAIL)
Interior of the Apple Store in Chicago.
The 'Apple Store' is a chain of retail stores owned and operated by Apple Inc., dealing in computers and consumer electronics. As of April 2007, Apple has opened 183 [1] stores, including 160 in the United States, ten in the United Kingdom, seven in Japan, and four in Canada. Recently, Apple opened its first store in continental Europe, in Rome.
| Contents |
| Design and history |
| Genius Bar |
| Store openings |
| Locations |
| References |
| External links |
Design and history
The entrance of the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue in New York City is a glass cube, housing a cylindrical elevator and a spiral staircase that leads into the subterranean store.
Customers inside an Apple Store in Palo Alto, California.
The stores carry Apple computers, software, iPod music players, iPhone cell phones, third-party accessories, and other consumer electronics such as the Apple TV. Many stores feature a theater for presentations and workshops, the
Studio for training with Apple products, and all stores offer a Genius Bar for technical support and repairs, as well as free workshops available to the public.
The first two Apple Stores opened on May 19, 2001 in Glendale, California and McLean, Virginia.[2] Many stores are located inside shopping malls, but Apple has since built several stand-alone "flagship" stores in high-profile locations. Flagship stores have opened in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Tokyo, Osaka, and London. Each flagship store was designed to suit the needs of the location and have a unique style. Apple has received numerous architectural awards for its store designs, particularly its SoHo location.[3][4]
Recently, Apple has introduced a new store layout and design with metallic walls and backlit signage. The new store design also lacks a dedicated point of sale station due to increased emphasis on the handheld EasyPay system.[5][6]
The retail store is notoriously "tougher to be hired [at], than [to be] accepted by Stanford University," says Senior Vice President Ron Johnson. During one talk he said Apple hired 978 store employees during 2002 from an applicant pool of 16,438, an 'acceptance rate' of 5.95%.[7]
Genius Bar
Main articles: Genius Bar
All Apple Stores feature a Genius Bar, where customers can receive technical advice or set up service and repair for their products. The Genius Bar provides software support for Mac OS 9 or later, and hardware service on products that are not classified vintage or obsolete. However, in many cases the Geniuses will at least attempt to assist customers with older hardware.[8] Originally, visitors to the Genius Bar were offered free Evian water. Apple dropped this amenity in February 2002.
To address increasing numbers of iPod customers at the Genius Bar, some new stores also feature an iPod Bar. First seen at the Ginza store in Tokyo, then at the New York locations, the iPod Bar has become a common feature at newly built stores.[9]
Most new stores feature a station called The Studio, a Genius Bar-like setting where customers can meet with a "Creative" and receive help with projects ranging from organizing a photo album to music composition to film editing. Some of the older stores are being considered to carry a Studio in a future remodel, in some cases replacing the older theaters.
Store openings
A smaller store in Simi Valley, California
Store openings have become special events among avid Mac users. Opening day attracts thousands of customers who line up early in the morning or even the night before. The first one-thousand customers receive a free T-shirt bearing the store's name (1500 in Glasgow's Buchanan Street's case). Other attractions include discounts and the so-called "lucky bags" at flagship store openings.[10]
Locations
The first two Apple Stores opened in the United States in 2001 (see history above). In 2005, Apple expanded its operations into Japan, opening the first store outside of the United States. This was followed by the opening of stores in the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy and soon a store in Australia. Apple is expected to open new stores in many more countries across the world, including France and Germany. There is also a plan to open an Apple Store in Mexico City. Plans for the store opening depend on the construction of an eight story annex for Torre Mayor. If so, it would become the first Apple Store in Ibero-America.[11]
| Country | First store opened | Future stores | Total open stores |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 19 May 2001 | 50 (approx) | 162 |
 | 20 November 2004 | 6 | 10 |
 | 30 November 2003 | 0 | 7 |
 | 21 May 2005 | 4 | 4 |
 | 31 March 2007 | 0 | 1 |
 | — | 1 | 0 |
 | — | 1 | 0 |
| Totals | ~60 | [12] 184 | |
References
1. http://www.apple.com/retail/storelist
2. http://www.ifoapplestore.com/stores/chronology_2.html
3. Apple, a Success at Stores, Bets Big on Fifth Avenue
4. Apple Computer Retail Stores: Gold, Environments
5. Store Redesign Photos
6. Apple Store's Easy Pay
7. http://www.ifoapplestore.com/stores/hiring.html
8. Old School Genius
9. iPod Bar Japan: Great Service But The Cocktails Need Work
10. Grand Opening Lucky Bags
11. ifoAppleStore Chronology
12. ifoAppleStore Chronology 2001-2005
External links
★ Apple Store official site
★ ifo Apple Store — news and information about store openings
★ Virtual tour of Fifth Avenue Apple Store (Google Maps Street View)
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