Apple Store Focuses on Training as well as Product

Pfreemanevans | December 10, 2007, 07:32 PM

I went to the opening of the new Apple store on 14th St. and 9th Avenue here in NYC last week and was once again impressed. The location is very hip, in the meatpacking district where all the cool people - and presumably Apple customers - hang out. But it's not that convenient to get to. I guess they chose hip over convenience which is probably okay since Apple stores are destinations.

The store itself is lovely and exhibits the same clean design as the other stores in Manhattan and the cool glass spiral staircase similar to the 5th Avenue location. One thing I found to be impressive was the third floor. It is totally devoted to training and service. So one third of the store's total floor space is devoted to non-selling (or at least not directly) activities. This approach is clearly about long-term customer care and loyalty driving tactics. Quite impressive when you think about sales per square foot calculations that store-based retailers rely on as a key metric. Kudos to Apple. I do think that getting people fully engaged and proficient (the ultimate sampling opportunity) with the product is the ultimate in customer engagement and retention. Plus, there is some element of acquisition opportunity too. Just think about trying to buy a computer and assume one needs help getting started or optimizing system use, a key consideration is how to find that type of service. Having a local store with a service like this Apple service might motivate your to buy there rather than from another seller.