Tuesday 17 January 2012

Apple in Target Stores

Anyone that has been to an Apple store knows exactly what the store ambience is. Lots of people, mostly young, mostly dressed in clothes that anyone over 35 would feel uncomfortable in and mostly people who look like they have known computers and video games all their lives. And yes, they probably have.

There is plenty of help from store employees who resemble the clientele I just described. Some offer advice and others just sell, and they wear T-shirts of different colors. They don’t all look like geeks but in the store it is easy to feel that way. A trip to the store is meant to be an experience not a purchase occasion. You might have gone there half a dozen times or even more but the next time you are in the neighborhood you can’t help but go there to get your fix: of the latest whatever. The motto of the store is “Come to shop. Return to learn.” Well, learn what is the question.

So why have a mini store in Target now as in Best Buy earlier? Surely, with no offense meant to either Best Buy or Target, the experience cannot be why people will go to the mini store. But that is precisely the point. You go to Target to buy diapers for your baby or towels for the home and you are not the type that seeks the experience at the Apple store. But Apple wants you. So they are coming to you via Target. Yes, soon they may even come to a bookstore, if those are around long enough. But Apple has you in its sights. And that is a good thing, I think.

1 comment:

christy said...

interesting... it reminds me a little of Sephora in JCPenney stores. Seems wise for the "mini" version as they get exposure to additional audiences. Both Apple and Sephora are tough to get to lease in malls so this will be a good way to reach people that maybe even live in remote areas - there is typically a Target but definitely no Apple (i.e. Mesquite, TX). If the mini-store employees are trained well and can help people with their products, it will definitely work well as that is only available in the "large" Apple stores now and the products can be confusing for anyone over the age of 25 (you say 35 but I think younger) and often people do not like to go to the mall just to get help with a product...