Neil Hughes
With Apple design chief Jony Ive and retail leader Angela Ahrendts apparently collaborating on a new direction for the company's retail stores, a new report claims that a focus on a "premium feel" to the stores and product packaging will begin next month.
Apple will apparently be working to create more uniformity among accessory displays in its stores, according to Macotakara. It was also said that Apple's own packaging for accessories will be largely in white.
Apple will also reduce the variety of products it offers in stores, the report said. Again focusing on a "premium" feel, Apple is said to be only interested in spotlighting high quality accessories.
The report also noted that Apple's new Upper East Side store in Manhattan displays accessories, such as iPhone cases, using a new fixture. With the new displays, unboxed cases are mounted to the wall, and pulling on the handle behind the case reveals a drawer that includes units of that item available for purchase.
The cabinets on the walls at the Upper East Side store in New York City are made of wood. Wednesday's report did not indicate whether this new presentation of accessories would be coming to other Apple stores, or if it was a unique feature of that location.
Back in February, it was revealed that Ive and Ahrendts are working together on a complete overhaul of Apple's retail stores. The two apparently hope to utilize a different approach than the past, making the stores better suited for selling the fashionable Apple Watch.
The fruits of their efforts could begin rolling out as soon as July, according to Macotakara. Some smaller changes pushed by Ahrendts, such as new seating areas, began appearing at some locations in April.
Ive was recently named Apple's Chief Design Officer, a role which will see him relinquish day-to-day oversight of industrial design, allowing him to take on a wider array of projects. Among the tasks in which Ive will take on a greater role is the redesign of Apple's retail stores.
Andrew Orr
Amber Neely
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
AppleInsider Staff
44 Comments
Recovering from having a discount guy run the place, I guess.
[quote name="TheWhiteFalcon" url="/t/186794/premium-feel-will-be-focus-of-apples-retail-revamp-beginning-in-july#post_2736628"]Recovering from having a discount guy run the place, I guess. [/quote] That new store in NYC looks really nice. I especially like the artwork on the wall in the VIP room. [IMG]http://i57.tinypic.com/2mhiv09.jpg[/IMG]
I think Sir Jony and Ms. Ahrendts should be able to work smoothly together and come up with some great designs for stores.
Apple's huge investment in brick and mortar stores will now stand to pay off even better when they become even better draws for customers—especially new customers drawn in for the first time by stores' aesthetics.
I can't think of any other company with the resources and talent to both create such great products and to be able to present and sell them so effectively all over the world.
These are really good times for Apple, and for us its customers.
I've only been in the Burberry store on Michigan Ave once, but it is absolutely stunning inside and out. They finished a big remodel not long before Ahrendts left for Apple. In pictures it looks like the outside is clad in metal like an Apple Store, but the Burberry pattern is actually a reflective glass. It reflects light differently from different angles and at different times of day. It's really beautiful, a standout on the block even compared to the Apple Store down the street.
I'm excited to see what she and Jony have cooked up for Apple. Those headphone displays and hidden drawers for iPhone cases in the new UES store are clever and sleek. If they brought that aesthetic to other Apple Stores they would certainly lend them a more premium feel. Apple Stores have never felt downmarket or shabby, but it's in Apple's DNA to take it to the next level anyway.
Luckily, cheaper accessories are in every grocery store checkout aisle! I guess Apple doesn't need to include that segment in their own stores.