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76-540: Apple Fifth Avenue is an Apple Store , a retail location of Apple Inc. , in Midtown Manhattan , New York City, United States. It is in the luxury shopping district of Fifth Avenue between 59th and 60th Streets, and opposite Manhattan's Grand Army Plaza . The store is considered one of several Apple flagship locations, and the pre-eminent store for Apple in New York City. The store is on and beneath

152-399: A "horrendously low" stop on Apple's percentage rent , as revenue far exceeded initial expectations. In June 2011, Apple began a 5-month renovation of the store, with a cost of $ 6.7 million. The renovation simplified the store's glass cube entranceway, reducing its structure from 90 panels of glass to 15. The renovation also included minor changes to the surrounding plaza. From 2017 to 2019,

228-454: A "park-like" space outside the store featuring free 24/7 Wi-Fi access and will host live concerts on some weekends. Designed by Jony Ive and Angela Ahrendts , the idea was to make Apple Stores into "town squares", in which people come naturally to the store as a gathering place, and to "help foster human experiences that draw people out of their digital bubbles". The new design will be adopted to every store Apple has, and while renovation

304-615: A 30-ft. cube within, one that the Apple executives approved of. The store was then developed in secret, and a prototype model was quietly built in a warehouse near the Apple Campus in Cupertino, California. The store opened on May 19, 2006, as Apple's 147th store. It immediately drew lines of customers; in its first year the store averaged sales of $ 1 million per day. Macklowe's real estate lawyer expressed regret that they had agreed to

380-492: A Genius Bar, where customers can receive technical advice or set up service and repair for their products. The Genius Bar provides hardware service on products that are not classified vintage or obsolete. However, in most cases the Geniuses will at least attempt to assist customers with older hardware. The Genius Bar at Apple Stores offers same-day service for both OLED / LCD screen and lithium-ion battery replacement . If

456-521: A concerted campaign to help sales by improving the retail presentation of Macintosh computers. Even with new products launched under his watch, like the iMac and the PowerBook G3 and an online store, Apple still relied heavily on big-box computer and electronics stores for most of its sales. There, customers continued to deal with poorly trained and ill-maintained Mac sections that did not foster customer loyalty to Apple and did not help differentiate

532-481: A cult", a lack of any significant bonus if a worker manages to secure a business contract worth "hundreds of thousands", a lack of promotion opportunities, and are paid so little that many workers are unable to buy products themselves even with a "generous" discount on any Apple product or Apple stock. According to an April 2022 press release, over 70 percent of the eligible employees in the Apple Store located in

608-526: A dedicated store-within-a-store section, offering a distinctive Apple-style experience to showcase products. The relationship with Best Buy calls for the company to send Apple Solutions Consultants (ASCs) to train Best Buy employees to be familiar with Apple's product lineup. In an interview with Funke Mediengruppe in May 2021 Deirdre O'Brien commented, "Apple is sticking to its plan to open more stores around

684-681: A design patent in 2002 for its glass staircase design. Historically, Apple has partnered with architectural firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson in designing and creating its original retail stores, and has in recent years partnered with architectural firm Foster + Partners in designing its newer stores, as well as its corporate Apple Park campus. Apple has received numerous architectural awards for its store designs, and its "iconic" glass cube, designed in part by Peter Bohlin , at Apple's Fifth Avenue store in New York City , received

760-519: A feature typical of Apple Stores, and recalling Tiffany & Co. 's fifth flagship building , which only displayed its iconic Atlas statue to signify the store's presence. The Apple Store sits around and beneath a public plaza, reconstructed during Apple's 2017–19 renovation. The plaza features 62 circular frosted skylights lying flush with the plaza's stone floors. It also includes 18 "sky lenses" which act as seats and public art. The lenses are ocular reflective steel shells with glass tops that provide

836-573: A glass bottom and top. Its exterior supports 43 cantilevering steps, designed with Bézier curves , evoking the shape of Apple products. The store's secondary staircases are at the north and south ends of the store, with sculpted entries from within the store. Other rooms in the store include two board rooms for private events and meetings, as well as an "Experience Room" to show how Apple products and services work together. The room has leather benches, residential furniture, and fixtures. Apple HomePods are placed to showcase Apple Music in this quieter part of

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912-409: A knitted fabric creating a tent-like effect to the ceiling. The store's central spiral staircase, leading down into the store from the street-level cube entrance, was redesigned in 2017–19. The original staircase was predominantly made of glass. The present staircase has a mirrored stainless steel cylinder and steps, with short glass walls around the steps. The central cylinder contains an elevator with

988-575: A lack of significant bonuses for securing major business contracts. Many Apple Stores are located inside shopping malls, but Apple has several stand-alone flagship stores in high-profile locations, such as the one located in Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Several multi-level stores feature glass staircases, and some also glass bridges. The New York Times wrote in 2011 that these features were part of then-CEO Steve Jobs ' extensive attention to detail, and Apple received

1064-444: A large area for classes and presentations at its north end. A large television screen is installed on the north wall, surrounded by wooden seats. The ceiling features 80 skylights arranged in a grid across the ceiling, surrounded by white LEDs which automatically adjust their white balance from blueish white to golden to match the hue of natural light coming in each day. The skylights' lightwells are identical, round, and surrounded by

1140-400: A need for improved retail presentation of the company's products, he began an effort in 1997 to revamp the retail program to get an improved relationship with consumers and hired Ron Johnson in 2000. Jobs relaunched Apple's online store in 1997 and opened the first two physical stores in 2001. The media initially speculated that Apple would fail, but its stores were highly successful, bypassing

1216-487: A public plaza by the General Motors Building , built in 1968. Its exposed exterior is a transparent 32 ft (9.8 m) cube in the middle of the plaza. The plaza is partly lined with benches and trees. The substantive interior, below ground, features a reflective steel spiral staircase and elevator, wooden tables with Apple products, and rooms and areas for specific Apple products. Apple Fifth Avenue

1292-446: A real Apple Store." The fake Apple Store was mentioned by U.S. presidential contender Mitt Romney in the second 2012 election debate . Chinese law prohibits retailers from copying the look and feel of competitors' stores, but enforcement is lax. According to The Wall Street Journal , unauthorized Apple resellers are found throughout China; the blogger's original post noted that two such stores were located within walking distance of

1368-608: A room for testing the company's HomePod products. The plaza and neighboring General Motors Building occupy a site which has seen numerous uses. The Savoy Hotel opened there in 1890, and which was replaced by the Savoy-Plaza Hotel in 1927. The Savoy-Plaza was demolished in 1963 to build the General Motors Building and its plaza, completed in 1968. Harry Macklowe purchased the General Motors Building in 2003. One of his first plans to modify his property

1444-430: A second authorized reseller. Challenges still remained, as resellers' profit margins on selling Macs was only around 9%, and selling Macs was only worthwhile if ongoing service and support contracts were provided, of which retailer experiences were inconsistent. In 1997, the year Steve Jobs returned to Apple, Dell founder and CEO Michael Dell was asked how he would fix Apple. Dell responded: "I'd shut it down and give

1520-562: A separate design patent in 2014. Ron Johnson held the position of Senior Vice President of Retail Operations from 2001 until November 1, 2011. During his tenure, it was reported that while Johnson was responsible for site selection, in-store service, and store layout, inventory was controlled by then- COO and now-CEO Tim Cook , who has a background in supply chain management . In January 2012, Apple transferred retail leadership to John Browett . However, after attempts to cut costs, including reducing new hires and limiting staff hours, he

1596-684: A series of mock-ups for the Apple Store inside a warehouse near the company's Cupertino headquarters. On May 15, 2001, Jobs hosted a press event at Apple's first store, located at the Tysons Corner Center mall in Tysons, Virginia , near Washington, D.C. The store officially opened on May 19, along with another store in Glendale Galleria in Glendale, California . More than 7,700 people visited Apple's first two stores in

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1672-466: A store before", adding that "It's not important if the customer knows that. They just feel it. They feel something's a little different." In 2011, Apple Stores in the United States had an average revenue of $ 473,000 for each employee. According to research firm RetailSails, the Apple Store chain ranked first among U.S. retailers in terms of sales per unit area in 2011, almost doubling Tiffany ,

1748-472: A store" approach still had shortcomings; acting as a mystery shopper , Macworld writer David Pogue observed that all but one of the locations he visited had employees who actively steered him towards Windows PCs and attacked Macs (such as claiming they did not have software available); the company's PR director Suzanne Shelton stated that finding "specialized" talent was difficult. Despite this, CompUSA sales of Macs had increased. Apple then added Best Buy as

1824-462: A view down into the store. Nine sky lenses are placed on either side of the store entrance, each in three rows of three. The plaza also features symmetrical sets of honey locust trees, planted on the north and south ends of the plaza, amid benches and low-lying water fountains. Secondary entrances feature stone staircases descending from the plaza into the store below, surrounded by stone planters at street level. The secondary entrances were added during

1900-423: A year, or £2,000 per square foot. Many other electronics retailers from around the world such as Huawei, Samsung, Xiaomi started to follow the designing trend of Apple Store. In May 2016, Apple significantly redesigned its Union Square Apple Store in downtown San Francisco , adding large glass doors for the entry, open spaces with touch-sensitive tables and shelves for product displays, and rebranded rooms for

1976-554: Is a chain of retail stores owned and operated by Apple Inc. The stores sell, service and repair various Apple products, including Mac desktop and MacBook laptop personal computers, iPhone smartphones, iPad tablet computers, Apple Watch smartwatches, Apple TV digital media players, software , and both Apple-branded and selected third-party accessories. The first Apple Stores were originally opened as two locations in May 2001 by then- CEO Steve Jobs , after years of attempting but failing store-within-a-store concepts. Seeing

2052-647: Is sticking to its plan to open more stores around the globe in the future, as reported by Bloomberg . Due to the popularity of the brand, applicants for jobs at Apple Stores are numerous, with many young workers applying. The pace of work is high due to the popularity of the iPhone and iPad . Employees typically work for only a few years as career prospects are limited with no path of advancement other than limited retail management slots. Apple Store employees make above-average pay for retail employees and are offered benefits including 401(k) plans, product discounts, and reduced price on stock . The retention rate for

2128-499: Is that with our new products and our new store and our new build-to-order manufacturing, we're coming after you, buddy." In August 2015, Apple revamped the online storefront, removing the dedicated "Store" tab and making the entire website a retail experience. Later, in August 2021, a redesigned store section of the website returned, with products still being able to be purchased directly through their respective pages. Jobs believed

2204-463: Is undergoing, stores are either relocated or temporarily closed. In April 2017, Apple announced that its "Today at Apple" educational sessions, which launched with its Union Square redesign in 2016 and offer more than 60 free hands-on sessions for creative skills, will also be expanded to all of its stores. Starting May 2018, a Video Wall was added to stores around the world, and upgrade some stores like Apple Palo Alto . All Apple Stores feature

2280-469: The General Motors Building , built in 1968. The site is adjacent to the southeast corner of Central Park , opposite Manhattan's Grand Army Plaza . The current design is a collaboration between Foster + Partners and Apple's chief design officer Jony Ive , while the original structure was designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson , led by Peter Bohlin . Foster + Partners also designed Apple's Miami, Chicago, Macau, and Tokyo stores, while Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

2356-683: The Statue of Liberty was. The store is favorably viewed by the public. The American Institute of Architects ' 2007 survey List of America's Favorite Architecture ranked Apple Fifth Avenue as the 53rd-best building in the United States. In the same survey, respondents ranked it their 15th favorite in the city and state. The store design inspired attributes of later Apple stores, including Apple Walnut Street in Philadelphia and Apple Upper West Side in New York City, both also designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson. Apple Store The Apple Store

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2432-580: The "Apple retail experience hurts Best Buy" and noted, "Buy a MacBook at the Apple Store and it's hard to go back to the Best Buy Windows laptop buying experience". The publication also wrote that "Apple salespeople are generally more knowledgeable, the products themselves are generally higher quality, and the stores are more appealing, aesthetically and practically." In October 2009, reports surfaced that Steve Jobs and his retail team would help "drastically overhaul" Disney Stores . His involvement

2508-410: The 2017–19 renovation after the store's popularity had led to severe congestion in the original design. The space was first built as a 12-foot-deep sunken plaza for the General Motors Building, an area by the 1990s seen as an "underused, unattractive desolate place" with green artificial turf and mostly empty retail space. It was raised to street level around 1999, a year after Donald Trump purchased

2584-565: The Apple retail program needed to fundamentally change the relationship to the customer, and provide more control over the presentation of Apple products and the Apple brand message. Jobs recognized the limitations of third-party retailing and began investigating options to change the model. In 1999, Jobs personally recruited Millard Drexler , former CEO of Gap Inc. , to serve on Apple's board of directors. In 2000, Jobs hired Ron Johnson from Target . The retail and development teams headed by Allen Moyer from The Walt Disney Company then began

2660-541: The Cumberland Mall in Atlanta, Georgia , have signified interest in unionizing . The employees asked for a $ 28 per hour wage, better benefits, and profit-sharing. If successful, the effort would make the store the first unionized Apple retail store in the United States. Steve Jobs , co-founder of Apple, returned to the company as interim CEO in 1997. According to his biographer Walter Isaacson , Jobs began

2736-564: The Mac user experience from Windows. In fact, the retailer trend was towards selling their own generic in-house brand PCs which used even cheaper components than those by major PC makers, increasing retailer overall margins by keeping the manufacturing profits. This "provided a powerful profit motive to convert customers interested in buying a Mac into the owners of a new, cheaply assembled, house brand PC". Tim Cook , who joined Apple in 1998 as Senior Vice President for Worldwide Operations, announced

2812-466: The building and plaza. His renovation involved creating slightly elevated groves of trees on its north and south ends and installing fountains, benches, and a retail pavilion. The plaza was again reconstructed around 2005 during the store's construction. The reconstruction involved leveling out the plaza even further and installing low L-shaped parapets on the four corners of the plaza, framing its sides. Shallow decorative pools were installed on either end of

2888-592: The company would "cut some channel partners that may not be providing the buying experience [Apple expects]. We're not happy with everybody." Jobs severed Apple's ties with every big box retailer, including Sears, Montgomery Ward, Best Buy, Circuit City, Computer City, and Office Max to focus its retail efforts with CompUSA —which reached an agreement to establish dedicated departments for Apple hardware, staffed by trained employees and representatives. Apple also worked with local user groups to promote launch events for new hardware and Mac OS releases. Between 1997 and 2000,

2964-581: The company's brand equity, with Scott Galloway, Professor of Marketing at New York University Stern School of Business , stating that the Stores are the "temple to the brand which is this unbelievable experience called an Apple Store, and then you have this very mediocre experience called an AT&T or Verizon connect your phone experience for Samsung and the other Android players ". Apple has since re-established ties with major big box retailers like Best Buy and Staples . Authorized Apple resellers have

3040-401: The company's corporate stores and a similar store design aesthetic. Apple Premium Resellers typically operate in countries and suburban communities not served by Apple Stores. Sunken plaza In architecture and landscape architecture , a sunken courtyard , sometimes called a sunken plaza , is a courtyard below ground level. This architectural element –related article is

3116-408: The cube, surrounded by tables, chairs, planters, and a few honey locust trees. At first opening, the interior was organized around different uses of Apple's technology, with areas themed for creating podcasts and blogs, editing digital media, and organizing music. Since the store's 2017–19 renovation, it has about double the interior space and significantly higher ceilings. The renovation also added

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3192-481: The first knockoff, one of them with a misspelled sign reading "Apple Stoer". An employee of the first knockoff confirmed that the store was not one of the 13 authorized Apple resellers in Kunming. In a follow-up report, Reuters indicated that local authorities in Kunming had closed two fake Apple Stores in that city due to lack of official business permits, but allowed three other such stores to stay open, including

3268-413: The glass exterior, wood display tables, winding staircase and large promotional posters found in legitimate Apple Stores, and with employees wearing lanyards and the same T-shirts as actual Apple Store employees. The Wall Street Journal reported that the store had "gotten widespread international attention for the remarkable lengths to which its proprietors seem to have gone to mimic the look and feel of

3344-446: The globe in the future." Apple Stores have considerably changed the landscape for consumer electronics retailers and influenced other technological companies to follow suit. According to The Globe and Mail , "Apple’s retail stores have taken traffic, control and profits away from Verizon as well as electronics retailers, such as Best Buy , that once looked at wireless phones as a lucrative profit source". CNET has reported that

3420-560: The in-house technician needs to send the affected device to an Apple Repair Center, most repaired or replaced iPhones will be returned or ready for pickup in approximately 3 business days. In May 2017, Apple launched a new program called Today at Apple. Customers can come in and receive free training from a Creative in more than 60 different sessions. Topics include basic device knowledge, Apple's professional film, and music editing software, coding for kids, and tools for using Apple products in classroom-based learning. The largest Genius Bar in

3496-408: The length of standard Apple Store tables, the second store to include them. The store has two rows of trees; the trees' circular planters function as benches, upholstered with a caramel-colored fabric atop a white base. The store's Genius Grove has a backdrop of a large plant wall. It spans the length of the store, doubled from its original size during the renovation. The main salesroom also features

3572-487: The modern Apple Store chain, the store was, at the time, the only place in the world where Apple merchandise could be purchased, including T-shirts, mugs, and pens. In June 2015, the store was closed for renovations, and in September it was reopened, offering a new design resembling other Apple Store locations and, for the first time, selling iPhones . The Infinite Loop location closed on January 20, 2024. As part of

3648-471: The money back to the shareholders". This angered Jobs, due to Dell's success with its online store originally built by NeXT , his former business that Apple acquired to bring Jobs back. A team of Apple and NeXT employees spent several months building an online store that would be better than Dell's. On November 10, 1997, Steve Jobs announced the online store at an Apple press event, and during his keynote speech, he said: "I guess what we want to tell you, Michael,

3724-573: The new relationship with CompUSA. A revised concept for an Apple " store-within-a-store " was designed by Eight Inc., a San Francisco-based firm who had developed Apple's presences at the MacWorld expo ; they were designed as a self-contained showroom with more minimalistic design that emphasized the products themselves. After a trial at retail outlets in Japan, CompUSA began to adopt the new concept for its locations beginning in 1999. The "store within

3800-716: The number of Mac authorized resellers dropped from 20,000 to just 11,000. The majority of these were cuts made by Apple itself. Jobs proclaimed that Apple would be targeting Dell as a competitor, with Cook's mandate to match or exceed Dell's lean inventories and streamlined supply chain. Jobs made an open statement to Michael Dell , "with our new products and our new store and our new build-to-order, we're coming after you, buddy." While Dell had operated as direct mail order and online order company, having pulled out of retailers to realize greater profit margins and efficiency, Apple had direct orders with sales handled by its channel partners, other mail order resellers, independent dealerships, and

3876-639: The one that had attracted international attention. The operators of that store had applied for a reseller license from Apple. At the time of the report, only four legitimate Apple Stores had opened in China, with two in Beijing and two in Shanghai. These imitation Apple Store locations should not be confused with Apple Premium Resellers, which are independent businesses authorized to sell Apple products, and which are expected by Apple to offer services comparable to

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3952-530: The opening weekend, spending a total of US$ 599,000 . Several publications and analysts predicted the failure of Apple Stores. However, the Apple retail program established its merits, bypassing the sales-per-square-foot measurement of competing nearby stores, and in 2004 reached $ 1 billion in annual sales, the fastest of any retailer in history. Sales continued to grow, reaching $ 1 billion a quarter by 2006. Then-CEO Steve Jobs said that "People haven't been willing to invest this much time and money or engineering in

4028-456: The popularity of the brand, Apple receives many job applications, many of which come from young workers. Apple Store employees receive above-average pay, are offered money toward education and health care, and receive product discounts; however, there are limited or no paths of career advancement. A May 2016 report with an anonymous retail employee highlighted a hostile work environment with harassment from customers, intense internal criticism, and

4104-500: The process of moving its corporate headquarters to the new Apple Park complex, a similar store with exclusive merchandise opened as part of the Apple Park Visitor Center on November 17, 2017. In July 2011, an American expatriate blogger who lives in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming reported on her discovery of what she called "the best ripoff store we had ever seen"—a fake Apple Store, complete with

4180-700: The sales numbers of competing nearby stores and within three years reached US$ 1 billion in annual sales, becoming the fastest retailer in history to do so. Apple has expanded the number of retail locations and its geographical coverage over the years, with 531 stores across 27 countries and regions worldwide, opening its latest stores at the Westfield Mall of Scandinavia in Solna , Sweden and Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance , California on September 20, 2024. Strong product sales have placed Apple among

4256-575: The second retailer on the list. On a global level, all Apple Stores had a combined revenue of US$ 16 billion. Under the leadership of Ron Johnson , the former senior Vice President of Retail Operations, the Apple Stores have, according to an article in The New York Times , been responsible for "[turning] the boring computer sales floor into a sleek playroom filled with gadgets". The Apple Stores have also been credited with raising

4332-400: The skyscraper's owner had solicited ideas from the pyramid's architect, I. M. Pei . The glass cube features 15 large panels of glass, unchanged during the 2017–19 renovation. A 2011 renovation streamlined the design from the original 90 panels that made up the structure, and made the glass panels fit together seamlessly. The cube entrance has no signage save for a large illuminated Apple logo,

4408-492: The staff were salaried, with no sales commissions. The store is always open to customers, with no hours or days closed, an acknowledgement of New York City's late-night street life in place since its opening. It is the only Apple Store that is open 24/7. The store includes an " Apple Watch Studio", a replication of the company's online tool to customize smart watches. The area allows customers to choose watch size, case material, and watch bands to purchase. The store also includes

4484-455: The store reopened in 2019, an author for Architectural Digest wrote: "For many, it’s now impossible to imagine the southeast corner of Central Park without it." The store is one of the most photographed landmarks in New York City. A 2009 Cornell University study mapping out geotagged photographs worldwide indicated the store was the fifth-most geotagged site in New York City and 28th-most worldwide, being geotagged in more photographs than even

4560-499: The store was closed and reconstructed. Apple moved into a temporary space within the GM Building during the renovation, and kept the 24/7/365 operating hours. The space, formerly occupied by FAO Schwarz , was considered for an annex to the Apple Store around 2016, though the rent price was an issue. The renovation involved demolishing the former store, starting anew under the plans of Foster + Partners. The new plans nearly doubled

4636-497: The store's opening, the New York Times reported on the flagship, saying it "will burnish the company's reputation for clever design". The newspaper, however, called many of its functions "costly indulgences", where almost half of its staff were there to provide free help on how to use Apple products, and crowds would use its internet-connected display computers and iPods to check email, browse webpages, or listen to music. When

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4712-488: The store's space, and substantially raised its ceiling by digging deeper into the ground. In early September 2019, for a few weeks before the store was set to reopen, the new exterior was revealed. It had a temporary rainbow iridescence, created by a film wrap around the glass cube. The store reopened on September 20, 2019, coinciding with the release of iPhone 11 series phones and the Apple Watch Series 5 . At

4788-471: The store. "The Avenue" is the central location for hardware, as well as for receiving advice from salespersons and "Creative Pros" with specialized knowledge of music, photography, creativity, and apps. The "Genius Bar" becomes the "Genius Grove", a tree-lined area for help and support. "The Forum" features a large video screen and offers game nights, sessions with experts in creative arts, and community events. "The Plaza", while limited to select locations, offers

4864-411: The store. The Experience Room, added in the 2017–19 renovation, is the second in the U.S. and third in the world. The store operates with about 900 employees, most of whom are bilingual; the team collectively speaks about 36 languages. The store originally had 300 employees, with 5,000 initial applications. At its opening, about half were assigned to provide free assistance on using Apple products. All of

4940-521: The technicians who staff the Genius Bar is more than 90%. A May 2016 Business Insider article featured a lengthy interview with an anonymous Apple Store retail worker in the United Kingdom, where the employee highlighted significant dissatisfaction and issues for retail workers, including harassment and death threats from customers, an intense internal criticism policy that feels "like

5016-1046: The top-tier retail stores, with sales over $ 16 billion globally in 2011. In May 2016, Angela Ahrendts , Apple's then-Senior Vice President of retail, unveiled a significantly redesigned Apple Store in Union Square, San Francisco , featuring large glass doors for the entry, open spaces, and rebranded rooms. Many Apple Stores are located inside shopping malls, but Apple has built several stand-alone flagship stores in high-profile locations. It has been granted design patents and received architectural awards for its stores' designs and construction, specifically for its use of glass staircases and cubes. The success of Apple Stores has had significant influence over other consumer electronics retailers, who have lost traffic, control and profits due to perceived higher quality of service and products at Apple Stores. Apple's notable brand loyalty among consumers causes long lines of hundreds of people at new Apple Store openings or product releases. Due to

5092-415: The two secondary entrances and replaced the original glass staircase with one made of stainless steel. The interior walls are clad in pale gray Italian Castagna stone with subtle stripes and rounded corners. Its floors are made of off-white terrazzo. The store predominantly has one large room lined with display shelving. The space also features wooden tables and matching storage units. The tables are double

5168-573: The world is located in Amsterdam. Apple Store openings and new product releases can draw crowds of hundreds, with some waiting in line as much as a day before the opening. The opening of New York City's Fifth Avenue store in 2006 was highly frequented, and had visitors from Europe who flew in for the event. In 1993, Apple opened a store, then known as The Company Store, at its Apple Campus on Infinite Loop in Cupertino, California . Predating

5244-553: Was described by The New York Times as "particularly notable", given his work on the "highly successful" Apple Stores and his election to Disney's board of directors in 2006. In August 2009, the London Evening Standard reported that Apple's first store in the United Kingdom, at Regent Street , was the most profitable shop of its size in London, with the highest sales per square foot, taking in £60 million

5320-458: Was fired after six months, later telling a conference that he "just didn't fit with the way they ran the business". In October 2013, Apple hired Angela Ahrendts from Burberry . When Ahrendts left in April 2019, Deirdre O’Brien expanded from Worldwide Sales and Operations, to People, and currently, to People and Retail. In an interview with Funke Mediengruppe in May 2021 she commented, Apple

5396-471: Was first constructed in 2006 and designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson . It was renovated in 2011 to simplify the façade. From 2017 to 2019, the store was rebuilt with about double the retail space to a more modern design by Foster + Partners . Apple Fifth Avenue is on Fifth Avenue between 58th and 59th Streets , across from the Plaza Hotel . The store is located on and beneath a public plaza built for

5472-618: Was invited to meet with Apple CEO Steve Jobs in November 2003. The meeting established the idea for a flagship store open 24/7 at the space; it was attended by several architects and designers, including from Bohlin Cywinski Jackson , who designed the Soho Apple Store. Jobs pitched the idea of a 40-ft. glass cube at the center of the site, while Macklowe proposed a glass pavilion close to the street; both ideas ended up merging. Macklowe thought Jobs' proposed 40-foot (12 m) cube

5548-488: Was responsible for the designs of many Apple stores, including an earlier store in the SoHo neighborhood. The store has a glass cube as its entranceway, measuring 32 ft (9.8 m) on each side, and with a suspended Apple logo inside. The entranceway originally featured a glass spiral staircase wrapped around a cylindrical glass elevator. At the time, architectural glass was rapidly becoming stronger, and so multi-ply glass

5624-399: Was to monetize its large plaza on Fifth Avenue. Architects and industry insiders had called it the "problematic plaza", considering it was a large unused space with a valuable street presence, and with an unused basement. Macklowe viewed the space as ideal for a store for the up-and-coming Apple Inc., and repeatedly brought his ideas up to Apple's vice president in charge of real estate until he

5700-409: Was too large for the site, violating zoning restrictions and obscuring and not harmonizing with the scale of the GM Building. With thoughts that he wouldn't convince Jobs without visual proof, he had a mockup of the 40-ft. cube constructed in the late night on the plaza. Apple executives viewed the structure at 2 a.m. and agreed the cube was too large. Macklowe then had the structure dismantled, revealing

5776-468: Was used for nearly the entire structure, with only small stainless steel bolts tying the glass panels together. The cube was designed to motivate people to enter the store, creating a "ceremony of descent", a grand entrance to ennoble visitors rather than put people off entering the basement store. The glass cube was inspired by and likened to the Louvre Pyramid in a 2005 New York Times article;

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