Internal Apple video shows thinking behind its stores

Apple Store
Apple Stores have very high sales per square foot

This video was only ever meant to be seen by Apple Store employees, so it's a bit embarrassing for the company that it's leaked online.

It's a typically self-congratulatory look at Apple Stores around the world, but it sheds some light on the company's approach to retail.

It's narrated by Ron Johnson, Apple's former senior vice president of retail operations. Johnson left the company last year, which dates the video somewhat.

"Every great journey begins with the first step," he says. "And we took our first step about a decade ago."

He says the original Apple Stores were pretty standard shops, but "then we discovered that if you can tailor a store uniquely to its setting, it can actually improve communities."

(There's plenty of slow motion footage of people running into Apple Stores while all this is going on.)

Location, location, location

Location is crucial, according to Johnson. Typically Apple flagships are found in the "most important [location] in that city," he says.

Then the decision is whether to make it modern, like the one on New York's Firth Avenue, or historic, like London's Regent Street.

"Most retailers view their space as the square footage they rent," he goes on. "We view our space [as] the environment we inhabit."

There's also a behind-the-scenes look at how the Covent Garden store came to be.

You can check out the video here.

Via 9to5Mac

Joe Svetlik

Joe has been writing about tech for 17 years, first on staff at T3 magazine, then in a freelance capacity for Stuff, The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, Men's Health, GQ, The Mirror, Trusted Reviews, TechRadar and many more (including What Hi-Fi?). His specialities include all things mobile, headphones and speakers that he can't justifying spending money on.