Apple Store 2.0

Rumours have been flying around regarding Apple's 10th retail anniversary announcement. The mystery was revealed on Sunday when Apple unveiled a new look to its stores worldwide, using dedicated iPads by all its products as sales tools for comparison shopping and customer assistance.

A new in-store app on the iPad is there to answer questions from customers and keep them in the store — instead of leaving to research online at home. It's part of a new push for the Apple Store, which celebrated its 10th anniversary Thursday, to enhance customer service.

Since the February launch of its iPad 2 tablet computer, Apple has been quietly testing "personal setup" for customers in all its stores. Purchasers of new Apple products — computers, the iPhone, iPod, iPad or Apple TV— could have the sales staff add their e-mail settings, set up an iTunes account and download favorite apps. Now Apple has set aside a dedicated, marked area in each store for the service.
Apple executives are "keeping ahead of their competition by running theirApple on Sunday unveiled a new look to its stores worldwide, using dedicated iPads by all its products as sales tools for comparison shopping and customer assistance.

The first stores sporting the new look opened Sunday morning in Sydney, Australia, followed by Japan, Italy, France, Spain, the United Kingdom and then the East Coast of the USA.
The iPad sales stations — Apple internally calls them "smart signs" — are probably the biggest change people will notice at first. Tap a button for help, and the picture of an available sales rep shows up on the iPad with a promise that he or she will be right over to assist you. Although with all these iPads now in Apple stores, it's no surprise that there has been a supply shortage. Every product, even the iPad has one of these iPad sale stations.

Apple is also releasing an update to its consumer Apple Store app to include additional tools to request customer service in store, and provide details of upcoming workshops at your local store.
On a square footage basis, Apple outsells high-end jewelry stores like Tiffany by a two to one margin — $5,100 per square foot vs. $2,600 — says Carl Howe, an analyst with the Yankee Group.

"What Apple's doing with this latest refresh is say they want not only their products to be worth more than diamonds, but they want their shopping experience to be too," he says.