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Touching the back wall of the Apple store

(blog.lauramichet.com)
252 points nivethan | 1 comments | 27 Jun 25 02:45 UTC | HN request time: 0.203s | source
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JSR_FDED ◴[30 Jun 25 03:53 UTC] No.44419187[source]▶
I remember the first time I went into an Apple Store.

I was looking at a 17” PowerBook, salivating at the screen and performance but struggling with justifying the price tag. An incredibly nice lady walked up to me and asked if I had any questions. I told her I was thinking it over as it was a large purchase. She beamed and said “Of course, that’s totally understandable. In fact it takes on average 3 visits to an Apple Store before making a purchase”. It was the smartest, nicest, most low key way of saying don’t feel pressure…you’ll be coming back, and then you’ll buy the machine you’ve always wanted.

Very on brand. And surprisingly still not really copied by others.

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paxys ◴[30 Jun 25 04:19 UTC] No.44419328[source]▶
It isn't copied by other consumer electronics companies because none of them have the brand value of Apple. Microsoft tried the model with its own chain of stores but failed pretty quickly. Most tech is better suited for Best Buy-like megastores where shoppers can browse and try a bunch of products and brands in one go. And for phones (at least in America) most people still prefer to go to their carrier store.

Go outside of tech though and the Apple Store experience is commonplace. Apple itself copied the concept directly from high end fashion houses.

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dagmx ◴[30 Jun 25 04:30 UTC] No.44419388[source]▶
Microsoft stores were abysmal. They felt like Best Buy without the convenience somehow.

I went in to try the (then new) Surface Studio (the drafting table like AIO) and they couldn’t find the peripheral knob. But it kept triggering, but it turned out employees would mess around with customers by spinning it while they used it.

Of course that’s just one store, but I walked by several and they all just looked depressing inside. Layouts felt about as poorly planned as a Best Buy or staples display, and even things as simple as lighting was harsher.

It’s just not as simple as making a store. The store has to provide the right vibe, and Microsoft don’t understand vibe.

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1. jimmydddd ◴[30 Jun 25 10:05 UTC] No.44421427[source]▶
A friend worked at a window blinds company that decided to open up their own stores. They previously had display areas a Home Depot stores. They hired a women who had successfully rolled out stores for a fashion company, and was interesting to see all that goes into it. Deciding on potential locations, leasing the spaces, doing interior layouts, paint colors, lighting, displays. It's a skill set that you wouldn't normally think about.