apple = target = genius
May 8th, 2007
NOTE: This post is an old post from MySpace copy/pasted into this one to add content. It is raw and unedited for content or formatting. Love it.
So we just got back from a rousing trip to the Cherry Creek Mall in Denver and while there, we visited the Apple Store. This isn’t my first foray into the mother ship, as I’ve also been to the Apple Store in Chi Town. But it did remind me of some retail and POS Marketing theory of which I’ve recently become aware.
Point of Sale. Not the other POS.
Anyway, here’s the deal. I like to be in the Apple stores. Yes, yes, part of it is due to the fact that Steve Jobs has used mind-altering rays on me and I’m brainwashed into believing that Macs are the messiah’s of the personal computer world. However, there’s more to it than that. Environment, people.
See, the thing that Apple Stores and Target have in common? They are cool. That’s right. Cool. When you walk into an Apple store, you aren’t like, “Wow. I bet these here personal computers will sure help me be more productive at work.” You immediately think, “Wow. This might be the sexiest place ever.” Whether this will help Apple sell computers is yet to be seen. (I think it’s already obvious that sexiness hasn’t hurt the current status of the iPod as THE personal music player to have.) However, since Target re-imaged themselves and started creating a cooler environment in their stores, their sales volume has gone up, up, up. To illustrate, I drive 5 more miles and spend approximately 5% more on things I need just for the priveledge of buying my crap from Target instead of Wally World.
My guess is that with the growing popularity of buying your crap online, this trend of creating stores that you actually want to be in will increase. This has existed in theory for a long time, however, with a slightly different twist. It’s a fact that companies like McDonalds and Abercrombie have painstakenly designed their stores to attract customers initially…but then subliminally drive them crazy enough to hurry up, drop off their money, and leave the store before they know what hit them. This is in stark contrast to Apple’s strategy; let’s keep them inside the store as long as possible, even if they don’t buy anything this trip.
I’ll be interested in hearing more about this as time goes on. In the meantime, I plan to spend the entire shopping trip in there next time we drive up to Denver. Monica and Melissa can flit in and out of stores to their hearts’ content.
Filed under: work
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.