Apple Retail Stores: The Ultimate Package?

October 24, 2011 at 3:29 pm by Ted Mininni

Everybody who’s ever purchased or received an Apple product as a gift understands the anticipation, the pleasure of opening up the packaging and removing each wonderful layer to reach the prize inside.

Like everything else he touched, Steve Jobs imagined what could be and conceptualized products and product packaging that have transformed our lives. So why should Apple’s own retail stores be any different?

A recent New York Times article titled: “A Genius of the Storefront, Too”, cited how Mr. Jobs collaborated with his architectural firm to design retail stores consistent with his vision for the Apple brand.

Results in the company’s 30 stores around the world are breathtaking. No stodgy, big box stores or dull, cookie-cutter retail environments here. Glass cubes and glass cylinders: pared down and pure with stairways even made of ethereal glass... environments as a homage to technology yet comfortable and flooded with natural light. What a concept. But did we expect anything less than perfection from Apple?

As a long-time fan and admirer of the Apple brand, the retail stores are, in fact, large packages themselves. The article stated it succinctly and well: “In many ways, the retail architecture is simply the largest box in which an Apple product is wrapped, and Mr. Jobs was famously attentive to every detail in an Apple product’s presentation and customer experience.” Exactly. A seamless, consistent experience at every touch point.

These stores speak to the edgy, forward-thinking Apple brand in the most eloquent manner. They, like great new packaging, force the envelope of design as they accomplish more with less. As the 5^th Avenue store is renovated and enlarged, connecting elements will be less visible to give the entire space a cohesive feel. So the innovation continues…

The Apple store experience can be savored in the same manner that opening the package of a new Apple product is enjoyed. It’s memorable and a one-of-a-kind experience. There’s nothing else like it. Isn’t that true of all great brands? And remember: it’s the space that holds all of those terrific Apple products. Packages within a package.

Have you ever had the Apple store experience? If so, please share your impressions with us.
Can you think of any company-owned retail stores that embody their brands in a truly seamless experience besides Apple?
Do you think more should be done to differentiate retail architecture and inside spaces or is it too cost prohibitive for most companies?

Categories:

Branding, Package Design, Consumer Products, Marketing Thought Leadership

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