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.