Dramatic new retail design reboot for Apple stores

Last week some leaked documents from Apple Inc. suggested that the tech giant has been planning a considerable retail design reboot for all of their next generation stores. According to reports, the new stores will still feature a lot of glass – with glass panels from floor to ceiling and glass roofs which allow natural light to filter into the store below, but they will also sport a lot of new natural features too. Granite and wood, natural light and trees and plants – will be used throughout the new retail stores in order to create a more pastoral feel than their previous store designs.

Recently revealed plans for a new Apple store in Germantown, Memphis suggest that the new retail outlet is going to be one of the first purpose-built stores to use the next generation design – with natural oak product tables and a reinforced matte granite panel fixed to the exterior wall of the new building. The store will also feature a changeable display comprised of artwork, trees and other living plants. The oak product tables in store will also be movable and reconfigured on a regular basis – and the displays will be viewable from the street.

According to reports, Rick Millitello, Apple’s Senior Director of Development described the innovative new store design to the Germantown Design Review Commission as the first of many:

“Our project is the next generation of retail store that we’re rolling out, and that’s the design concept that we have – and we’re really excited because this is going to be one of the first, if it’s approved, that we build.”

We look forward to seeing this innovative new natural design rolled out to other stores globally and will also be very interested to see how it is received, both by retail commentators and the gadget-shopping public. Apple tend to lead the way when it comes to innovative designs so we’ like to see how other stores respond to the change too.