“Apple’s retail chief Angela Ahrendts has spent the past two years revamping the technology company’s retail stores, where it sells iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Watches,” Leena Rao reports for Fortune. “That’s no small business—there are nearly 500 Apple stores worldwide, and retail sales are responsible for some 18% of the company’s $233.7 billion in sales, amounting to $42 billion in yearly revenue.”
“But Ahrendts views the company’s newly redesigned retail outlets not just as stores, but as the company’s next big products, she explained at the Fortune Most Powerful Women conference in Laguna Niguel on Monday night, in her first interview about Apple’s retail redesign,” Rao reports. “In fact, she and Apple view their stores as potential town squares within each of the cities they reside.”
“‘The store is now the biggest product we produce and we have five new features [for iPhones and iPads]. Accessories are avenues, and the huge digital screen in each store is the forum,’ Ahrendts said,” Rao reports. “By the end of this year, 95 stores will be fully redesigned with this vision…”
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Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: As we wrote of Ahrendts back in September 2015:
Cook’s best hire to date. Plus, if he, God forbid, ever got hit by a bus, she could slide right into the CEO position. Of that, we have no doubt. Ahrendts’ track record is stellar. Having two world-class CEOs in the executive suite should give Apple shareholders a strong sense of security. Just as Jobs had Cook, Cook has Ahrendts.
SEE ALSO:
Apple’s Angela Ahrendts brings retail 2.0 to London – October 13, 2016
Angela Ahrendts brings luxury to Apple’s flagship stores – May 19, 2016
Tim Cook took home $10.3 million, Angela Ahrendts earned $25.7 million in 2015 – January 6, 2016
Apple’s Angelea Ahrendts makes her mark on Apple Stores by going ‘ultraluxe’ – December 8, 2015
Disappearing act: What happened to Apple’s Angela Ahrendts? – October 26, 2015
What the heck is Angela Ahrendts doing at Apple? – September 10, 2015
Apple.com gets redesign; standalone store integrated into main site – August 6, 2015
Apple’s new Union Square store highlights new retail elements, including ‘Genius Grove,’ ‘The Forum,’ and more – May 19, 2016
Apple’s Angela Ahrendts emerges as highest-paid U.S. woman with $83 million – May 5, 2015
Jony Ive and Angela Ahrendts working on Apple Retail Store redesign for Apple Watch – February 16, 2015
Angela Ahrendts recruiting U.S. employees for China; new stores and retail initiatives revealed – January 26, 2015
Apple’s Ahrendts to oversee slew of new retail stores as organizational restructuring planned – June 16, 2014
Well, if you don’t have many new products to sell, then it makes sense to turn your stores into public meeting places.
Or, Apple, you could actually give us a reason to visit your shops. Sheesh….
Well said!
Rumor has it you have to have at least three tats to get hired at the Apple Store these days, but they will waive the requirement if you have at least 7 piercings, a ponytail (men) or a hair bun (men). You must also be completely clueless about anything to do with the Macintosh.
Jean and birdseed – thanks for your insightful comments on how badly Apple is doing. Oh, wait! That’s actually the opposite of reality.
I was going to say – it’s the biggest product given that they have no new MacBook pros, airs, iMacs, Mac pros or Mac minis.
Town Squares are not populated by tables full of iPhones and Hipsters.
“Coding classes for children” and that folks is Apple’s new market.
Flash required to view the videos? Really??
You guys have never been to an Apple store lately. They are packed like it was black Friday on the weekends.
And the Microsoft stores positioned across from the Apple Stores in the malls seldom have more than a few people in them. The “me too” stores are a bust.