“The party inside [Apple’s Midtown Manhattan] store and in 203 other Apple stores around the world is one reason the company’s stock is up nearly 135 percent for the year. By contrast, high-flying Google is up about 52 percent, while the tech-dominated Nasdaq index is up 12 percent,” Katie Hafner reports for The New York Times.
“The popularity of the iPhone and iPod and the intended halo effect those products have had on sales of Apple computers are behind Apple’s vigor. But the company’s success in retailing, as other competitors struggle to eke out sales growth, has been the bonus,” Hafner reports.
“Apple now derives 20 percent of its revenue from its physical stores. And the number is growing. In the fourth quarter in 2007, which ended Sept. 30, Apple reported that the retail stores accounted for $1.25 billion of Apple’s $6.2 billion in revenues, a 42 percent increase over the fourth quarter in 2006,” Hafner reports. “Apple stores generate sales at the rate of about $4,000 per square foot a year, according to a report last year by Sanford C. Bernstein analysts. As other electronics makers like Dell, Nokia and Sony still struggle to find the right retail formula, Apple seems to have perfected it.”
“Apple stores encourage a lot of purchasing, to be sure. But they also encourage lingering, with dozens of fully functioning computers, iPods and iPhones for visitors to try — for hours on end,” Hafner reports.
“‘Whenever we ask consumers to cite a great retail experience, the Apple store is the first store they mention,’ said Jane Buckingham, president of the Intelligence Group, a market research firm in Los Angeles. ‘Basically, everything about it works. The people who work there are cool and knowledgeable. They have the answers you want, and can sell you what you need. Customers appreciate that. Even the fact that they’ll e-mail you a receipt makes you feel like you’re in a store just a little bit further ahead of everyone else,'” Hafner reports.
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Winston” and “Citymark” for the heads up.]
” . . . with dozens of fully functioning computers . . .”
Let us forget the pathetic days of Performas that were vandalized, mocked or abandoned in Sears stores.
$4,000 per square foot, amazing.
I remember seeing a list of the top stores and how much they sold per square foot. Would be nice to see an updated list.
Good thing they’re not trying to connect a Mac running Leopard to a server running Tiger. Because it’s about bloody impossible. And don’t try to change permissions on a folder, OH NO! Because it will lock you out of it. And if you can actually MOUNT the server… oh wait, YOU CAN’T! Where is the mount point? Not on the desktop. If it in “PLACES”? NOPE! Not there either!
FIX THIS P-OS, APPLE!
Oh, I thought it said “Hug Sales”.
Leopard Hater
Command K to mount anything you want you cry baby. It’s been around for ages…
Works fine for me.
@Leopard Hater
You had me until you said the Desktop should be the “mount point”… you dufus. The desktop is a folder inside a user’s home folder. Not a place to be “mounting’ drives, at least not in the correct sense of the word on a UNIX-based OS.
Leopard Hater is blowing smoke out of his …ss
making up crap to the natives restless
@ coolfactor
I think he meant that mounted drives no longer show up on the desktop, which is true. I find it annoying as well.
I have too many mounted drives (14), I don’t want them on the desktop
Where’s that infamous quote about Apple Stores closing their doors????
@ Leopard Hater:
Sure there seems to be issues when networking between Leopard and Tiger, I have encountered some issues myself. But after updating to 10.5.1 these issues have practically dissappear. I suggest you update all of your machines (to 10.5.1 and to 10.4.11).
10.5.2 promises to fix all of the remaining issues.
Now, if you can count to 10 and chill out a bit, you’ll find out there’s a few workarounds even in 10.5.0.
For example: the Network icon can be accesed by pressing Command + Shift + K.
Also, some of the issues are Router related. My internet connection was dropping after a few minutes even pre-Leopard (10.4.11). I updated the router’s firmware and now all is well.
Check your router’s firmware, mine’s last updated dated back to 2004. That’s was when iPods weren’t able to play videos.
I garantee you are going to change your nickname to “Leopard lover” if you follow my directions.
Regards,
fef, Leopard’s passionate lover
@ Leopard Hater
@ ChrissyOne
@ CoolFactor
You can configure the Finder to show (or not to show) mounted disks on the desktop.
Simply, on the Finder, go to menu Finder > Preferences > General > “Show these items on the desktop” – and click whichever you like.
“I give [Apple] two years before they’re turning out the lights on a very painful and expensive mistake,” predicted retail consultant David Goldstein.
Here’s a fun read of the rest of the story:
MAY 21, 2001
NEWS: ANALYSIS & COMMENTARY
By Cliff Edwards
Commentary: Sorry, Steve: Here’s Why Apple Stores Won’t Work
New retail outlets aren’t going to fix Apple’s sales
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/01_21/b3733059.htm
Let’s ask BusinessWeek if little Cliffy and Davey care to run a follow-up to their bold and assertive prognostication of the Apple Stores failing.
CompUSA – fate is a bitch
Email receipt is a cool thing, I got it right away on my iPhone, no papers in my pocket.
And who said Apple was not env friendly?
Thanks fef. I also overlooked that desktop mounting option.
@ fef
thanks!
Dell, Nokia and Sony still struggle to find the retail key because they don’t have the products to display.
No iMac
No iPhone
No iPod (classic shuffle nano video touch…)
No iTunes
No MacBook
No cool and NO imagination.
I noticed that Apple Stores are being reconfigured. The space freed up from getting rid of cash registers is being used to emphasize service, not sales. The Genuis Bar is now more prominently located to provide tech support service. And there is a big table for the one-on-one “personal trainer” service. Apple knows that the sale is just the beginning. Customers will keep coming back because of the services provided at the Apple Store. If they keep coming back, they’ll buy some more stuff.
Who is that idiot again that said the stores will be closed down in 2 years? LOL
Jubel: Look up seven posts.
I remember seeing those reports when they first came out.
Guess whose laughing now, Ron Johnson
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