(Image courtesy of 9to5Mac)
Despite successfully launching ever-bolder retail locations around the world, one of the busiest continues to be Apple’s Regent Street store in London -- and it served to offer the executive behind it a wealth of lessons that are well-served in other locations.
9to5Mac is reporting that Apple’s Regent Street store in the United Kingdom continues to be one of the busiest worldwide, according to senior vice-president of retail Ron Johnson in a recent interview with Retail Week.
“Regent Street taught me the most,” reveals Johnson. “It was a big bet to put in a big store like that, but it worked. Today, Regent Street is our highest traffic store in the world.”
It doesn’t seem that long ago that an Apple retail store seemed like a crazy idea, but now Cupertino finds itself envied by even those with far more retail experience, looking for ways that they can replicate such success around the globe.
“10 years ago, we decided that, as a company that wanted to win in innovation, we wanted customers to experience the product at first hand,” Johnson explains. That includes plenty of products on display, complete with free Wi-Fi to show them off in the best way possible.
“Our primary objective is to create a place that people will love,” the executive said. Referring to the just-launched Covent Garden location in London, Johnson says, “We’ve not only created a store, we’ve created a place for people to be.”
So what’s the recipe for Apple’s success? Johnson says it’s simple: The staff is taught “to look in the heart, not the pocket book” when dealing with their customers.
Of course, with a company with as much money as Apple, that’s an easy thing to do -- but it provides a good lesson even for small businesses just starting out.
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