LOS GATOS, Calif. — Not a cash register is in sight. The electronics on display are all powered up and ready for use.Personal trainers, specialists and newly minted concierges in aqua-blue shirts make the Apple Store feel part salon, part Internet cafe — just without the espresso.
Over the past year, Apple Inc. has revamped its 201 stores, changing the layout, adding services and increasing its staffing.
“Apple indeed does things differently from the rest of the retail gang,” said Kurt Barnard, president of the Barnard Retail Consulting Group.
Clipboard-carrying concierges greet customers at the door to direct them to the right section of the store or to the personal shopper or trainer with whom they had made an appointment. Several others mill the floor in case someone has a question or is ready to buy an iPod, an iPhone or a Macintosh computer.
With cash registers removed, a common question nowadays is, “Where do I pay?” The store employee would instantly reply, “Right here,” and whip out a portable scanner from a hip holster. That has freed up space for shiny wares or one-on-one consultations. The 11-foot counter used in the past for the “Genius Bar,” the in-store technical support section, has been extended to about 35 feet per store.
“We try to pattern the feeling to a five-star hotel,” said Apple’s retail chief, Ron Johnson.
