Apple retail redesign emphasizes software
Apple has started rolling out a major redesign of its retail stores in order to focus on software and switchers.
IfoAppleStore, which tracks the Apple retail operation almost as closely as Cupertino does, first noticed the switch. It’s already underway at the downtown San Francisco Apple store, with signs placed near the front of the store designed to entice new converts to the Mac with slogans like "It’s easy to love a Mac" that highlight the differences between Windows PCs and Macs.
Apple’s retail operation is a very important part of its marketing strategy, beyond its role as a distribution channel. Apple executives have pointed out several times over the last couple of months that far more people visit an Apple Store in a given week then attend Macworld, and have noted on many earnings conference calls that roughly half the Macs sold in its retail stores are to new Mac users. But Apple is easing back on the pace of its retail expansion this year given the economic conditions, increasing the need to get more results from existing stores.
