Apple Flagship

While in NYC last week, I had the opportunity to examine one of the premier executions of retail/branding in the world. Complete with glass elevators, genius bar, and over 200 ipods and 100 macbooks to check out, this store was a bee-hive of activity with over 20 days to Christmas. The Apple flagship store at 5th Avenue, between 58th and 59th st East in Midtown Manhattan was a great example of retail getting the details right. From the tables to the ceiling treatment to the various t-shirts the store 'geniuses' wore, this was all about the details.

One thing I really liked was that the only place to sit down was the kids area. Everywhere else kept the consumers standing to try the products. There were over 200 people in the store while I was there, and very little stock product was visible on the floor. It was all about trying the different products, then requesting them from a store associate.

The most impressive thing this store had to offer was the entrance. Like the Louvre in Paris, a giant glass cube encroached upon a glass cylinder elevator, wrapped in glass stairs all leading down to the unknown. Mystery is sexy, and in this execution it works.