Fifteen years ago today, Apple opened the doors of its first two brick-and-mortar retail stores in McLean, Virginia and Glendale, California.
For a trip down memory lane (a nice way of saying “a way to make you feel really old”), check out the below video of Steve Jobs offering a personal guided tour of what customers setting foot in an official Apple Store could expect.
While plenty has changed in the years since — from an aggressive expansion program overseas, and a new retail boss in the form of Angela Ahrendts, to a recent Jony Ive-designed makeover — one thing that has stayed the same is Apple’s focus on customer experience.
Considering how much of a gamble it seemed at the time, the Apple Store experiment has been a tremendous success — and something rival companies like Samsung and Microsoft have been totally unable to match, despite their best efforts.
Do you have a favorite Apple Store? Leave your comments below.
Via: Time
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
One response to “Apple opened its first retail stores 15 years ago today”
I love the Marseille Apple Store which opened on the 14th of May, it has all the new designs by Jony: The Avenues with their windows and a stunning view on the sea!