Built on a spot formerly occupied by a Levi’s store, it replaces the original San Francisco flagship, which opened in 2004 on Powell Street, a few blocks from the new location. Since then, Apple’s stores have become renowned for their elegant design and employees roaming the floor offering assistance, helping make them among the most profitable in retailing.
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On Thursday, Apple offered, in a sneak preview of its new Apple Union Square in San Francisco, a new direction for its retail stores.
“In addition to the technical geeks that help Apple customers with broken products at the ‘genius bar, ‘ we learn that flagship Apple stores will now have a ‘creative pros’ area with reps experienced in areas from photography to music, to give customers advice about how to make the most of their devices and which accessories to buy”, reports the Financial Times. Despite Apple’ 480 stores in 17 countries, Apple’s biggest store is really Apple.com in terms of visitors.
Workers staff a new Apple retail store during a media preview in San Francisco, California, May 19, 2016.
In its new store, Apple uses its iconic materials – glass, blonde wood tables, steel.
Shoppers who enter the “boardroom” at the San Francisco store, a new space for entrepreneurs and small business owners, will get an idea of the look of Apple’s futuristic headquarters, which is likened to a spaceship for its circular design. The Plaza at Apple Union Square features a fountain by well-known San Francisco sculptor Ruth Asawa, originally commissioned in 1969, and a new work, “Love” by local artist Laura Kimpton, commissioned by Hyatt Hotels.
When Apple reported slowing iPhone sales earlier this year, chief financial officer Luca Maestri said customers weren’t upgrading their handsets as quickly as they once did. It’s also the first in the world to include Apple’s five new store design elements, Ahrendts said. There’s no reason why you’d want to see any of that stuff when you’re inside the place. As well as an in-store garden grove for Genius appointments and a 6K-resolution video wall, there’s also a plaza that will be open to the public 24 hours a day with free Wi-Fi and music performances. “We want people to say ‘Hey, meet me at Apple”.
This might be one of those things you have to experience to figure out if there’s any benefit. The store has balconies and places for visitors to parade a bit and gawk.
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With its newest stores, Apple is also attempting to downplay products in boxes in favor of just letting them out of their packaging-the same approach it’s always taken with displays of its own computers, phones, and tablets. It’s just too bad that Apple doubled-down on the bar’s already twee name with Genius Grove.
