“When it comes to innovative brick-and-mortar retail concepts, it’s hard to argue with the success of the Apple retail store, which was first launched in 2001,” Dominic Basulto reports for The Washington Post. “While the Apple store concept may not be as buzzy as when it launched more than a decade ago, the fact remains that not a single tech competitor has been able to come up with a retail concept superior to it.”
Basulto reports, “So, when Google announced that it was establishing a series of Winter Wonderlab pop-up stores across the country for the holidays, it was only natural to ask: Had Google finally created a radically new retail concept to challenge Apple’s brick-and-mortar stores?”
“Based on my early experiences at Google’s Winter Wonderlab in New York’s Bryant Park, the answer is no,” Basulto reports. “The entire design concept for the Winter Wonderlab seems borrowed from Apple, including the way the products are laid out and presented, the minimalist feel of the space, and even the pastel T-shirts worn by the staff. While it’s nice that Google has simplified its product line to only focus on a few offerings – the Nexus 7, the Chromebook, Google Chromecast and Google Play — even this seems like a nod to Apple, which has one of the most simplified product lines in the tech world. The overall design of Google’s store — a glass cube across from the ice skating rink in Bryant Park, too, seems borrowed from Apple’s glass cube flagship store on Fifth Avenue across from Central Park.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Dan K.” for the heads up.]
What do they sell in Google stores? Users of their services?
They don’t really sell. They tag and follow you.
Nanobot ear tags.
Say ‘moo’ for the camera!
*click*
User information, of course! Just walk in and the “secret,” juicy details of your life begin scrolling across one of the large displays on the wall. The best parts are redacted, but people can pay to make those parts visible. Run away!
The google drones outnumber the unsuspecting public.
They just can’t help themselves, can they.
But they do help themselves with users data. Google Free since 2011.
Are they serious? I am just sick and tired of companies copying Apple. So derivative.
Only the cool cities have the Apple stores. If the only computer joint in your town is a Google/Microsoft/Samsung store, then I have bad news for you…
Taking after Samsung, Google? Everybody copies from the best, right?!
Darn Google! The ‘Gee-Whiz’ aura is wearing off.
What are you going to do now to get attention and sucker investors?
Having a little fun.
When you type “Google Store” into Google maps, you get . . .
1. Googleplex,
2. The Gun Store – Yes, the gun store!
3. IKEA Burbank
4. The Little Church of the West
5. California State University San Marcos
. . . and so on.
Typing in “Winter Wonderlab” gets you nothing.
Several fine gun stores on Magnolia in Burbank.
Google Store….ridiculous.
Yaaaay macdailynews has found another VAGUE way which Google copies Apple.
Idiots.
A “vague” way? What’s so “vague” about an in your face store with a sign on the front that reads “Apple” crossed out with Google written hurriedly on top.
Not even you (Mr. G) could be that stupid.
Borrowed? Are they returning it soon?
Ok so let me get this straight – they will have racks full of chromecast?
What else, oh probably 10 rows of Moto X?
10 rows of Chromebooks?
And that is it? Unless they sell all the phones with android on them, but at that point they are no better than walking into AT&T, Sprint or T-Mobile.
The last time I went to the Apple Store, I had a defective item. The employees were dressed casually, as I expect, but a couple of them looked like they hadn’t bathed in two weeks. That was new.
An employee told me to wait for someone else, who told me to wait for someone else who told me to wait for someone else, who was courteous and helpful, and quickly decided to replace the defective item; however, they were out of stock and I had to come back in a couple days. They said I needed to make a genius appointment for that day. I did.
A couple days later, I got a phone call that it was in. I could come in at any time, and anyone could help me right away.
I went to the Apple Store, where someone referred me to someone else who referred me to someone else who took a long time to come but courteously and quickly did the swap. Then I cancelled the unnecessary genius account.
Weird.
I checked; the store had the Apple logo in front. Maybe they did that so that Google and Microsoft would imitate it.
” the fact remains that not a single tech competitor has been able to come up with a retail concept superior to it.””
Or even a good copy.
I saw on a broadcast report this morning that these Google stores don’t even stock merchandise that shoppers can take home. The stores simply demo the devices and if you want one, you have to submit an online order and they’ll ship it to you.
If this is true, then what’s the point of a pop-up store, aside from an extraneous branding exercise that they happened to roll out during the holidays? One advantage of B&M stores is to see and touch a product before you buy. But, the other big advantage is instant gratification — you take the product home today. It’s that second point that’s entirely missing here.