Apple’s new retail store design Stanford 2 opens in California
As you know we like to bring you the latest news on retail store design from around the globe and this week we’ve chosen to take a look at two very different stores which opened in California a couple of weeks ago.
The first of these was Apple’s Stanford 2 retail location at Palo Alto in the Stanford Center, Silicon Valley’s most glamorous shopping mall. The event drew huge crowds – some came to buy and browse whilst many just came for the spectacle of the new Apple retail store design.
The substantial overhaul to the Northern California Apple Store included a new stored design comprising a glass box with a floating roof. This is the third of Apples’ stores to feature the new design, which gives window-shoppers a 180 degree view of the store interior. The aesthetic of the new design by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, is a continuation of the architectural style of Apples previous stores, and brand – echoing the glass structure and clean lines which shoppers come to expect from Apple, whilst also offering something tantalisingly new and fresh that seemingly compelled visitors to come down and check it out, resulting in queues around the block, full of people clamouring to be amongst the first to make a purchase in the new store or simply come to gawp at the new retail design.
Many industry insiders are sceptical about Apples ability to continue to innovate and sustain exponential growth, but with no new products available for sale, this new opening still drew a huge crowd with locals such as Santa Cruz resident Taylor Barcroft queuing from the early hours to get a place in line and a free t-shirt. Some had attempted to camp overnight but had been ejected from the shopping centre for breaking the rules. They were eventually rewarded for their patience by over 100 Apple employees screaming and running about high-fiving people in the queue as the doors opened and the masses shuffled in.
The new store is seven times the size of it’s predecessor and contains ‘Genius Bars’ where customers can receive advice from Apple staff – an idea which is catching on in the Uk for example something similar is happening at the new Dixons store that we blogged about last week The new design also features ‘Kids Table’ where children can gather to play with ipads whilst their parents browse.
We have previously blogged about the new Apple store design although it has yet to hit the UK. Following on from the success of this store, the design is now due to be rolled out to two more locations at Downton Portland, Oregon and their first foray into Europe when the retail design makes it’s debut in France.
Whether Apple can sustain it’s huge following that prompts people to queue for several hours just to take a look at pre-existing products remains to be seen, but their popularity show no sign of abating at present and perhaps other stores should be looking to Apple (as Dixons are) to improve their own customer experience.