Apple Stores Case Solution

1. Why is Apple having such a profound impact on the retail store experience? 

Apple is having a profound impact on the retail store experience due to its innovative store elements that provoke customer involvement. The design of Apple’s stores empowers and encourages consumers to actively explore their digital needs. Ron Johnson (Apple Computer’s Senior VP of Retail) aimed to make Apple’s stores dynamic, community-centric spaces, thus rejecting the traditional showroom model that is solely focused on transactions. An important aspect of such profound impact lies in Apple’s strategic focus on constant innovation, product integration, design and brand image, and its strategic approach to carefully and meticulously design store elements that could build an interactive environment, fostering learning and engagement.

The company’s claim that ‘Everything Is Easier on a Mac’ is the essence of Apple’s unique value proposition, which effectively reflects a brand image of user-friendliness. The advertising mantra ‘Think Different’ and claim ‘Everything Is Easier on a Mac’ of Apple showcases Apple’s commitment to enriching and simplifying people’s lives. By introducing the concept of the computer as a digital hub (iMac) where consumers can have control over their digital lifestyle, Apple is having a transformative influence on the retail store experience.

By featuring professionals like national parks photographer Steven Johnson and TV producer and writer J.J. Abrams in-store theater or ‘Made on the Mac’ series events where they showcase creative uses of their Mac, Apple capitalizes on an opportunity to attract potential customers (non-Mac users). Apple builds emotional connections with potential customers as it offers unique and immersive retail store experiences by inviting influential personalities to store events and allowing customers to learn about things they are interested in on an individual level. Thus, Apple’s theater acts as an attractive space for creative exploration where a number of professionals give detailed presentations on practical applications of Apple products, adding a unique experiential element to the retail environment and contributing to the profound impact on the overall store experience.