Apple Pushes Ahead With New Genius Bar Layout

After the , many New Jersey customers will have plenty of room to crowd Apple Store employees, thanks to the first-ever, double-row Genius Bar at the Garden State Plaza location.

Cupertino plans to relocate the existing store to a larger space in the mall in order to make room for the massive help desk – part of ongoing Genius Bar efficiency improvements, according to IFOAppleStore.com.

In July, there were reports that its in-store configuration by turning the "bar" 90 degrees perpendicular from the wall, making more room for customers to scoot in with repair needs and questions.

Apple was reportedly testing the new layout this summer at the Los Gatos, Calif., store, according to IFO Apple Store, while also enlarging or moving several early retail locations – including the Garden State Plaza showroom.

The New Jersey store opened in February 2006, IFO Apple Store said, in a 30-foot-wide space that is now often overcrowded. The mall store is expected to reopen in a new spot nearby, almost tripling the store's square footage.

Two Genius Bars will run parallel to the back wall, providing 360-degree access by employees and customers.

Apple previously set up different configurations, including California's "floating" Genius Bar and a recent Bellevue Square, Wash., layout that placed the table about 20 feet away from the rear wall, running parallel across almost the entire width of the store.

As IFO Apple Store pointed out, each of the new arrangements provide for more table access and room for Genius employees to roam, iPad in hand, offering assistance where needed.

For more, see the 7 Apple Stores to Visit Before You Die slideshow below.