Frankly, we weren't sure what to expect when we pitched up in Brighton at the tail end of August for the opening of Apple's 21st retail store in the UK.
Of course we'd been to the opening of the first – the flagship Regent Street store in London – and had been caught up in the enthusiasm and excitement of staff and punters alike, but surely the fact that a shop is opening somewhere that already sells Apple kit is hardly something to get het up about?
Boy, were we wrong. We set off from Bath at 5:30am in order to arrive in time for a preopening press briefing with Nye Wright, the store's Manager, but when we rocked up to the new store in Brighton's Churchill Square shopping centre just after 8am, there was already a queue forming.
(And while this isn't in the same league as the camping-out-for-days-beforehand stunts that we've seen at the opening of, say, the Regent Street and Fifth Avenue stores, we were nevertheless impressed that as the store opened – and even half an hour after it did – the queue was easily a couple of hundred strong.)
Hugs and high-fives
For the traditionally reserved Brits, California-flavoured Apple events are often a little awkward.
You could never accuse an Apple Store employee of being surly or pessimistic, but it has to be said that, in the build-up to the opening – with the team inside the glass-fronted store hugging, swaying around in a ring, and high-fiving – that there were a few raised eyebrows and muttered, puzzled accusations of oddly cult-like behaviour.
The whole morning was one of an odd mix of passion and confusion; most of the folks in the queue, by dint of their very presence, would probably say they were hardcore Apple fans, and they were rightly excited about the opening.
And yet for the rest of the world there in Brighton that day, the whole event was anathema. When people learned that the whoopin' and a-hollerin' that accompanied the doors opening marked nothing more than a store opening – and, worse, that the little boxes being given out to the first few through the doors contained not 'free iPhones' as the rumour was but mere T-shirts – we were treated to the full gamut of emotions from bafflement to scorn by way of pity.
Just before the doors opened – after being given their final pep talk by the Store Manager – all the T-shirted employees broke out of the store and did a lap of honour around the top level of Churchill Square, high-fiving all the folks in the queue.
THE BOSS: Nye Wright, the store's Manager, is American, but tells us he loves Brighton
And when the doors did open after an excited countdown, the staff, lined up inside the store on either side of the door, applauded wildly and high-fived the folks in the queue as they streamed into the shop. And for many this was no mere pilgrimage; within minutes of the store opening, people were walking out carrying iMacs, MacBooks and more.
Some told us they'd wanted to buy a Mac but had been waiting until Apple opened a store nearby.
Your comments (13) Click to add a new comment
nitebot
November 2nd 2009
13. Were there lots of pretty girls there?!
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lovlid
November 2nd 2009
12. "Why the big deal? Well, it's about Apple's attitude toward its customers and its employees, and the relationship it wants to create between them. We were encouraged to 'surprise and delight'. Believe me, I've worked in retail before and I never heard anything remotely similar anywhere else. I started with Apple when the number of stores was in the single digits, and I spent five years there. It was a wonderful experience, and I'm just as charged about Apple now as I was then and before. They have no equal."
Time for that shower.
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macspirit
November 2nd 2009
11. Why the big deal? Well, it's about Apple's attitude toward its customers and its employees, and the relationship it wants to create between them. We were encouraged to 'surprise and delight'. Believe me, I've worked in retail before and I never heard anything remotely similar anywhere else. I started with Apple when the number of stores was in the single digits, and I spent five years there. It was a wonderful experience, and I'm just as charged about Apple now as I was then and before. They have no equal.
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studentrights
October 31st 2009
10. pete_I@ "Once you get past the glitz and superficial, shiny packaging it's just another shop selling a brand. While they might start with a lot of hype, the test will be to see if they're still so upbeat on a rainy thursday in February, when there hasn't been a single buying customer since the weekend - and the bills need paying."
This has already been disproven now that Apple has over 276 stores world-wide; still growing, while raking in 9 Billion in profits last quarter.
They now make 3/4 the revenue of Microsoft; 9.87 vs. 12.37 last quarter with 30 Billion in cash debt-free. In market value they are only second to Microsoft and worth 6 times what Dell is while also being ahead Google, IBM, HP and just about any technology company out there.
Apple doesn't just sell a brand like Dell or HP, they build and sell an entire computer electronics experience; (phone, internet browser, game/music/video player, GPS unit), along with integrated computer hardware and software. Show me a PC carved from a single block of aluminum with a multi-gesture trackpad, magnetic power connector and a custom operating system to run it? Sorry Macs only. The integration, easy of use, and innovation packed into each product puts them above the rest.
Or when you said, "glitz and superficial, shiny packaging it's just another shop selling a brand" were you talking about cars, shoes, clothes, furniture or just about any other consumer item? Tell me you don't care how your car looks when you buy it or about comfort and easy of use.
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studentrights
October 31st 2009
9. pete_I@ "Once you get past the glitz and superficial, shiny packaging it's just another shop selling a brand. While they might start with a lot of hype, the test will be to see if they're still so upbeat on a rainy thursday in February, when there hasn't been a single buying customer since the weekend - and the bills need paying."
The has already been disproven now that Apple has over 276 stores world-wide, still growing and while ranking in 9 Billion in profits last quarter.
They now make 3/4 the revenue of Microsoft; 9.87 vs. 12.37. With 30 Billion in cash debt free. In market value they are only second to Microsoft and worth 6 times what Dell is while also being ahead Google, IBM, HP and just about any technology company out there.
Apple doesn't just sell a brand like Dell or HP, they build and sell an entire computer electronics experience; phone, game/music/video player, GPS unit, along with integrated computer hardware and software. Show me a PC carved some a single block of aluminum with a multi-gesture trackpad, magnetic power connector and a custom operating system to run it? Sorry Macs only. The integration, easy of use and innovation packed into each product put them above the rest.
Or when you said, "glitz and superficial, shiny packaging it's just another shop selling a brand" were you talking about cars, shoes, clothes, furniture or just about any other consumer item? Tell me you don't care how your car looks when you buy it or about comfort and easy of use.
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optimaximal
October 31st 2009
8. 'the one in london Regents Street is the most profitable retail store in the UK out of any retail shop no just Apple stores second only to Harrods.'
Look up the definition of profit margins.
Of course Apple stores are highly profitable - they're employing relatively few people too sell incredibly high margin products and their results are being compared with huge multi-national chains that employ significantly more people selling lower margin products.
People quoting Apple's stores turning over huge amounts of money compared to 'other retail stores' are just playing the old game of 'favourable figures'... Maybe every post should come with a * and a sub-note explain that all quoted figures are cherry picked in order to make their point.
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hss1
October 31st 2009
7. Well the Apple stores are doing really the well one in london Regents Street is the most profitable retail store in the UK out of any retail shop no just Apple stores second only to Harrods.
The fifth avenue New York Apple store makes $500 Million per year just for this site.
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lovlid
October 31st 2009
6. @ stevewilliams.
Nobody ever says "macbook air" Ever, never mind saying it the same way we say ipod or iphone.
I agree with optimaximal about the incremental upgrades. The iphone with one of the lowest resolution cameras for a phone at that price range (I know there are others, but we're talking about an innovative company, yes?) and the nano with ten year old video technology in it, whoop de do. And stand in one of their stores for an hour. Most people walk in out of curiosity, like slowing down at a car crash, go "wow" and walk out without buying anything.
@ mjrmd.
Im sorry, but whenever I've talked to an apple employee, I get the feeling that I need to go home and wash off the slimy feeling on my skin. And come on, you live in the most superficial place in the world. If you haven't got an igadget, your a nobody.
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mjrmd
October 31st 2009
5. pete_I,
One further thought. You said, "It's just a Disney store for computer stuff." ( When Steve Jobs sold Pixar to Disney he was paid with $4B in Disney shares and now sits on the Disney board as the holder of the most shares. He bought Pixar from George Lucas for $10M. ) In the past month Apple Retail Store executives were consulted by Disney to bring some of their secret sauce to their retail outlets.
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mjrmd
October 31st 2009
4. Pete_I,
In Southern California we probably have fewer rainy days than you have in the Mother Country, but even when it does become inclement, even when neighboring stores are devoid of customers the 3 Apple Stores within 20 miles of where I live are shoulder to shoulder from door opening to closing.
Apple Stores are anything but "just another shop selling a brand." They are a phenomenon. They are the subject of scrutiny and study by business schools and retailing experts. The Fifth Avenue store (NYC) produces more dollars/square foot than any store in history, including Tiffany's down the street.
Steve Jobs opened these stores about 8 years ago when every business commentator predicted failure.
The genius is that is more than a retail outlet. Apple consistently gets the highest consumer rating for customer care and service. Apple hires its geniuses based on their ability to deal with customers and their problems.
Microsoft has just opened two copy cat stores, one near Phoenix the other in Orange County California. They are cheaply done knock offs and they had to bribe people to show up for the opening of the CA store with free tickets to a nearby pop concert. Those are the stores that will be empty on rainy and even sunny days. Microsoft has never understood the Apple magic.
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optimaximal
October 31st 2009
3. 'Because Apple is all about innovation, not gimmicks or endless hype.'
Wrong... It's all of those things.
Yes, nearly everything they do these days is seen as 'innovative' and 'future-thinking', but most of it is done just for the sake of doing it - differentiating their products year in, year out just so they can justify selling new stuff to an elitist stuck-up fan-base that they know will happily lap it up.
The magic mouse, the Nano camera, the 3GS, numerous revisions of the same device with minor incremental upgrades with no roadmap for consumers other than 'buy new'... It's all endemic of a culture that should have died with the recession.
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stevewiilliams
October 31st 2009
2. Apple may generate a lot of hype, Pete, but I don't think that's what it's all about. Apple products really are at the top of the range. When you ask someone about a music player they'll always say iPod. When you ask someone about a touchscreen phone or a smartphone, they'll say iPhone. When you ask someone about a designer/superslim laptop, they'll say MacBook Air.
Part of that is about hype, but at the end of the day, Apple really is the market leader in a lot of places, and tends to introduce far more innovations into the world of tech in contrast with practically every other computer or entertainment manufacturer in existence.
Whenever I go into the Apple store closest to me (Southhampton) it's always full of people buying or exclaiming 'this is awesome' as they fiddle about with Apple's latest kit.
And why do they say things like that? Because Apple is all about innovatio, not gimmicks or endless hype.
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pete_l
October 31st 2009
1. It's just a Disney store for computer stuff
Once you get past the glitz and superficial, shiny packaging it's just another shop selling a brand. While they might start with a lot of hype, the test will be to see if they're still so upbeat on a rainy thursday in February, when there hasn't been a single buying customer since the weekend - and the bills need paying.
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