Inside The First Apple Store

The Rise of Apple Stores: A Look Back at the First Store

Apple has built over 500 retail stores across 25 countries, with the first international store opening in Japan. The success of these stores can be attributed to their innovative design and strategy. In this article, we will take a closer look at the first Apple Store, which opened at the Tysons Corner Center mall in Virginia almost twenty years ago.

The First Apple Store: A Look Inside

As we step back into 2001, we find ourselves standing in front of the first Apple Store. The layout and design of this store are quite different from what we see today. The entrance features a black facade with two Apple logos on either side. This design element is still present in most Apple stores today, but it's not as prominent as it was back then. Another notable feature of the original store is its emphasis on symmetry, which was a key design element inspired by traditional Japanese architecture.

The Counter: A Line to Pay

One of the most striking features of the first Apple Store was its large counter at the front where customers would line up and pay for their products. This was a departure from the modern approach to retail, where lines are minimized as much as possible. However, this design choice posed a challenge for Apple in 2001, when they only sold five products: the iMac, Power Mac, Power Mac Cube, iBook, and PowerBook. To fill up an entire store with these limited offerings, Apple had to offer "solutions" - third-party accessories compatible with their computers.

The Store Layout: Home, Pro, Solutions

Upon entering the store, customers were greeted by two main sections: Home and Pro. The Home section featured Apple's consumer-level computers like the iMac and iBook, while the Pro section showcased the company's most powerful and expensive computers, such as the Power Mac and Power Book. Additionally, this section included pro accessories like the Cinema Display. However, these two sections occupied only a quarter of the store. The remaining space was dedicated to "solutions" - third-party products that could be used with Apple's Macs on display.

The Kids Section: Educational Software and Games

One of the unique features of the first Apple Store was the Kids section, which didn't feature any products but rather a wide selection of educational software and games. Customers could sit down at one of the four available iMacs and test out these programs. This section added an interactive element to the store, making it more appealing to families with children.

The Genius Bar: A Concept in Its Early Stages

The Genius Bar was another innovative concept introduced by Apple in its first retail store. Initially, this small area featured only five stools, but it would eventually grow to accommodate dozens of guests. In contrast to modern Genius Bars, the original store's version was equipped with a red landline telephone that Geniuses could use to call Apple's headquarters directly if they had problems they couldn't solve on their own.

The Etcetera Section: Cables and Adaptors

Located opposite the Genius Bar was the Etcetera section, which offered an assortment of cables, adaptors, power supplies, paper, ink, and even printers and scanners. This practical area catered to customers' everyday needs, making it a convenient one-stop shop for all their Apple-related purchases.

The Theater: A Unique Feature

Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the first Apple Store was its theater section. With a ten-foot rear projection screen, this space played commercials, demo videos, and iTunes visualizations. This unique element added an entertainment aspect to the store, allowing customers to engage with Apple's products in a more immersive way.

The Software Aisle: Over 300 Titles

At the center of the store was an aisle featuring over three hundred titles of software - from games to professional applications. While this section might seem redundant today, given the convenience of downloading software online, it added value to customers at the time. However, with advancements in technology and digital distribution, this aspect of the original store's design has become less relevant.

Conclusion

The first Apple Store marked the beginning of a retail revolution that would change the way consumers interact with technology companies like Apple. By examining the design choices and innovative features introduced by this store, we can gain insight into the company's vision for customer experience and retail innovation. From its emphasis on symmetry to its unique theater concept, each element contributed to the overall success of Apple stores.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enApple has built more than five hundred retail stores across twenty-five countries. In fact,  their first international store was in Japan where they went on to dominate the country.  And I’ll actually be making a video explaining how so make sure you’re subscribed for that.  But in total, Apple Stores welcome over five hundred million visitors  every year. And they’ve proven to be more profitable per square foot than any other  company. But all of this big success started rather small. With the first Apple Store opening  at the Tysons Corner Center mall in Virginia, almost twenty years ago. So in this video,  we’re going to take a look inside the first Apple Store, and I’ll explain the concept, the layout,  and the strategy Apple used to become a successful retailer. This is Greg with Apple Explained,  and today’s topic was second in the last voting poll. If you didn’t get to participate, make sure  you’re subscribed and polls like this one will begin appearing in your mobile activity feed.Alright now lets go back to 2001 and see what Apple’s first store looked like.  Its layout and design is much different than what we’re used to seeing today,  and there are several reasons for this. Just look at the store’s entrance, which featured a black  facade with two Apple logos on either side. A design you don’t see anymore,  since they only use one Apple logo on the front of their store’s today,  and the black accents used at early locations like this one is no longer part of Apple’s retail  design today. But not everything has changed. When you walked inside this store, you may’ve  noticed the emphasis on symmetry. A design element often used in traditional Japanese architecture  that Jobs deeply appreciated and wanted to include in their stores. And that’s one thing that still  hasn’t changed. Virtually every Apple store today still maintains this focus on symmetrical design.But something you may’ve found odd about this store, was its big  counter at the very front. Where customers would line up and pay for their products. It’s not  something you’ll see today, since they try to prevent lines from forming as much as possible.  Honestly, it was a little odd to walk into these old Apple Stores and be greeted by the  end of the cash register line that you had to navigate around in order to start browsing  products. But once you did, you quickly realized that Apple’s own product offerings were sparse.  That’s because back in 2001, they only sold five products: the iMac, Power Mac and Power Mac Cube,  iBook, and PowerBook. And that posed a challenge. How would Apple fill up an entire store with five  products? Well, they did it by offering what they called “solutions.” Which were  essentially third party accessories compatible with Apple’s computers.So the first two areas you saw when entering the store were labeled ‘Home’ and ‘Pro.’ To the right,  there was ‘Home.’ Where customers could explore Apple’s consumer-level computers like the iMac  and iBook. Then right across from it was the ‘Pro’ section. Which featured Apple’s most powerful and  expensive computers like the Power Mac and Power Book. As well as pro accessories like the Cinema  Display. Now those two sections, featured Apple’s entire product lineup, but occupied only a quarter  of the store. And that’s where the ‘solutions’ sections came in. There were four, labeled Music,  Movies, Photos, and Kids. They took up the middle 50% of the store and featured third party products  that could be used with Apple’s computers. There were six digital cameras, six MP3 players,  and six PDAs that customers could not only buy but also plug in to any of the Macs on display to see  exactly how they worked. The Kids section didn’t feature any products, but rather a wide selection  of educational software and games that kids could sit and test out on the four available iMacs.At the back of the store, off to the side, was the Genius Bar. A concept that started off  quite small, featuring only five stools, but has grown quite a bit. With most Apple Stores today  dedicating their entire back section to a large Genius Bar designed to accommodate dozens of  guests. But inside the original location, things were more modest. In fact, Genius Bars used to  be equipped with a red landline telephone that Geniuses could use to call Apple’s  headquarters in Cupertino directly, if someone had a problem they couldn’t figure out on their own.Now opposite the Genius Bar, was a section called Etcetera, where you could find cables,  adaptors, power supplies, paper, ink, and even printers and scanners.  But the space at the very back of the store was the most unique. Because that’s where guests could  find a theater. With a ten-foot rear projection screen that played commercials, demo videos,  and iTunes visualizations. Now what’s interesting about the theater section  is that Apple eventually removed them from all their stores by 2012. Opting instead for a larger  Genius Bar and more tables to display their growing product line. But in 2017 the theater  concept was revived in the form of Today At Apple. Which introduced large screens and seating areas  back into stores around the world to allow for educational sessions and presentations.Now the last section of the first Apple Store was at the very center. An aisle that featured  over three hundred titles of software from games to professional applications. Something  that isn’t necessary today since software can be conveniently downloaded over the internet.So that is what it felt like to step inside the first Apple Store. If you want to find out how  Apple ended up dominating Japan, don’t forget to subscribe, and I’ll see you next video.\n"