“Apple has unveiled new concepts for its flagship retail stores in a transformation led by Angela Ahrendts, the former Burberry chief executive hired by the technology company two years ago,” Hannah Kuchler reports for The Financial Times. “Speaking at a preview of the first new store in San Francisco, Ms Ahrendts said the retail properties were Apple’s ‘largest product,’ which she had been charged with reimagining. Like the iPhones and the Macbooks, she wants the stores to be ‘considered and beautiful.'”
“The unveiling was the first big announcement from Ms Ahrendts since she joined Apple in May 2014,” Kuchler reports. ” Ms Ahrendts made her name bringing a digital angle to the luxury goods brand Burberry before joining Apple, where she was given a stock grant worth up to $68m.”
15 years ago today, we opened our first 2 Apple stores. Now we have 478 stores worldwide and over 60k employees that make it all so magical.
— Angela Ahrendts (@AngelaAhrendts) May 19, 2016
“The stores would retain Apple’s ‘iconic’ glass walls and the wooden tables which Sir Jony Ive, the chief design officer, uses when creating the devices, she said,” Kuchler reports. “The new store, on San Francisco’s central Union Square, has floor to ceiling glass doors that open on each side of the building, allowing light and air to flow through. But Ms Ahrendts’ team, working with London-based architects Foster & Partners, have developed five new features that will be rolled out to global flagship stores.”
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MacDailyNews Note: Features debuting in the new Apple Store, Union Square include:
• “The Avenue,” inspired by the window displays along a boulevard that dynamically change with the season. Avenue walls are interactive themed “windows” where Apple’s products and services come to life, from music, to creativity, apps, photography and more. New “Creative Pros,” Apple experts in creative arts, offer advice and expertise at each of the displays. Customers will also find “Only at Apple” products on the Avenue, a curated collection of third-party accessories.
• “Genius Grove” invites customers to get support working side-by-side with Geniuses under the comfortable canopy of local trees in the heart of the store.
• “The Forum” is a gathering place centered around a 6K Video Wall. It is home to “Today at Apple,” which brings to the community the world’s most talented artists, photographers, musicians, gamers, developers and entrepreneurs to inspire and educate Apple’s customers to go further with the things they are passionate about. “Today at Apple” includes year-round programs for kids, new monthly events for teachers, sessions for current and aspiring developers, Creative Sessions in partnership with local experts in creative arts, Game Night with editors from Apple’s App Store and more. The Forum and Video Wall are a place of discovery, including events about the making of movies from iTunes, or exclusive premieres of new music and music videos from Apple Music.
• “The Plaza” will be found only at Apple’s most significant stores, including Apple Union Square. It’s open to the public 24 hours a day, features public Wi-Fi and seating, and takes “Today at Apple” outside, with a regular weekend series of well known local acoustic performances such as Travis Hayes and global talents like Escondido, who will then give exclusive interviews about their craft in the Forum. 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.
• “The Boardroom” is an intimate space where the store’s Business Team offers hands-on advice and training to entrepreneurs, developers and other small and medium business customers.
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Apple’s new Union Square store highlights new retail elements, including ‘Genius Grove,’ ‘The Forum,’ and more – May 19, 2016