According to The New York Times, Disney plans to reboot its 340 stores in the U.S. and Europe, and will open new retail locations, with one potential flagship site in Times Square. The goal: Create more of an "experience" than a store. To achieve that, the company has reportedly turned to a member of its board of directors, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
"For the first time, Mr. Jobs's fingerprints can be seen on Disney strategy, in the same way that he influenced the look and feel of Appleâs own immensely popular retail chain," the report said. "While Mr. Jobs did not personally toil on the Imagination Park concept, he pushed Disney to move far past a refurbishment."
Jobs reportedly told Disney executives to "dream bigger," and provided access to proprietary information about how Apple has developed and operated its own retail locations. Following his instructions, Apple created a full-scale prototype store inside an unmarked warehouse in Glendale, Calif.
"Disney will adopt Apple touches like mobile checkout (employees will carry miniature receipt printers in their aprons) and the emphasis on community (Disneyâs theater idea is an extension of Apple's lecture spaces)," the report said. "The focus on interactivity — parents will be able to book a Disney Cruise on touch-screen kiosks while their children play — reflects an Apple hallmark. Employees can use iPhones to control those high-tech trees."
Jobs serves on the Disney Board of Directors. He has held that position since 2006, when the Walt Disney Company acquired Pixar Animation Studios, which he had owned since 1986.
Apple's retail stores have proven very successful for the Mac maker. Last quarter, its 254 retail locations sold 492,000 Macs to 38.6 million store visitors, and more than half of those sales were new Mac buyers. Apple is in the process of renovating its own stores, something it hopes to have done for 100 of them by the end of the year.
The company is known for its sometimes extravagant retail stores, particularly the flagship Fifth Avenue location in New York City, where the entrance is a 32-foot glass cube. Apple is also constructing a special roof for its forthcoming Broadway store.
Disney isn't the only company attempting to recreate Apple's retail success. In its own brick-and-mortar venture, rival Microsoft has taken cues from its competitor. It even plans to mimic Apple's Genius Bars with its own "Guru Bars."
51 Comments
Could also help Apple I would think! M$ no doubt ready to copy anything Apple do could partner with Six Flags.
p.s. (added hours later) Six Flags part was a joke for those thinking I was serious
"Disney will adopt Apple touches like mobile checkout (employees will carry miniature receipt printers in their aprons) and the emphasis on community (Disney?s theater idea is an extension of Apple's lecture spaces)," the report said. "The focus on interactivity -? parents will be able to book a Disney Cruise on touch-screen kiosks while their children play ? reflects an Apple hallmark. Employees can use iPhones to control those high-tech trees."
The company is known for its sometimes extravagant retail stores, particularly the flagship Fifth Avenue location in New York City, where the entrance is a 32-foot glass cube. Apple is also constructing a special roof for its forthcoming Broadway store.
I can see this turning into free babysitting for parents if its not done properly... which doesn't do Disney much good.
That said, taking some cues from Apple and making a kick-ass Time Square store would be pretty awesome and be quite the experience as long as they don't fall into the FAO Schwartz trap.
Jobs serves on the Disney Board of Directors.
Hmmm, possible FTC investigation here as Apple moves the iPod Touch and iPhone more into the entertainment sphere.
I hope it'll be easier to find a "mobile checkout" person in a Disney store than it is in an Apple Store. The customer should not have to walk around searching for an employee to sell them something.
I'm probably one of the few but I've never liked the Apple Store experience. The place just seems so sterile and empty. And despite being ready to buy, none of the employees ever bothered to ask if I needed assistance. Maybe I looked like I didn't have money to spend, but I did every time I went in.