SAN FRANCISCO — Apple is getting ready to unveil a stylish new product that’s not for sale — a new look for its stores.
The iPhone maker is overhauling its nearly 480 stores worldwide, starting with its new two-story location in San Francisco.
Apple provided a glimpse of its revised approach to retailing Thursday, the 15th anniversary of the company’s first stores in Virginia and California. Since then, Apple’s stores have become renowned for their elegant design and employees roaming the floor offering assistance, helping make them among the most profitable in retailing.
Despite their success, the stores have been growing stale, said longtime Apple analyst Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies.
The San Francisco store, set to open to the public Saturday, is supposed to conjure the ambiance of a town square where people can gaze through giant windows to savor views of the city as they stroll through spacious aisles.
“This is a company statement, not just a retail store,” Angela Ahrendts, Apple’s retailing chief, said in an interview.
