Some Apple Retail stores to have overnight redesign on May 16 - report

Apple is reportedly doing an overnight refresh on some Apple Retail stores on the night of May 16, said to bring some of the design elements from Apple's new flagship stores to locations not suitable for massive changes.

A report by 9to5Mac claims that stores that can't accommodate mass revisions such as a Genius Grove or presentation areas will see the overnight updates. The approach is called a "halfway house" between the existing designs and the new concepts at stores like the San Francisco Union Square store.

While the move makes sense from a design coherency standpoint across the chain, AppleInsider couldn't immediately verify that the changes are imminent, nor were any employees we asked spanning 10 locations aware of any renovation plans scheduled for that night scheduled for their store.

On Tuesday, Apple presented its plan for the Washington D.C. Carnegie Library store, measuring nearly 63,000 square feet. That plan is reminiscent of the designs of stores in London, and the Union Square store.

Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts talked about her vision for Apple Retail in an interview at the end of April. Under Ahrendts, Apple has been overhauling the design and operations of its retail chain, with many shops adding trees, wooden shelves, oversized video screens, and new larger spaces for gatherings and performances.