On the left is the incredible three-story glass staircase inside the new Apple store in New York's Meatpacking District. Hundreds of people lined up in freezing weather on Friday for its opening. Shopping at an Apple Store is not like going at an ordinary tech warehouse, e.g., a Best Buy or a Frye's. For Apple, the architecture and the image are every bit as important as the product, be it an iPod or a Leopard. Their customers shop at "tech boutiques" with world-class architecture, translucent surfaces and expensive finishes. The architects behind the sleek designs? The Philadelphia firm of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson http://www.bcj.com/. But does all this attention to detail and sleekness create value for shareholders?
These Apple stores are simultaneously a building, a sculpture and an advertisement. They create the image of a strong, modern company and draw attention to the product. And Apple stores are becoming as recognizable the world over by their design as by the company's logo. Apple is consciously differentiating itself from rivals like HP or Dell, in terms of perceived quality, and has gone to great expense to do so. Ultimately this should create value for the shareholders in terms of sales - the products are seen as edgier and more desirable, capable of commanding higher prices.
At left the exterior of the new store at 14th and 9th, a renovated warehouse building.
At right, is the store on Regent Street in London. The facade of the 19th century building has 
been kept, but the interior is light and modern. Apple has cleverly created a brand image, from the design of its hardware, to the architecture of the stores, to the advertising. Below is the exterior of the Apple Store in Nagoya, Japan.
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