Apple Stores are getting their biggest makeover in 15 years

Apple Stores around the world are currently being revamped to reflect a new design headed up by Jony Ive, Apple's design chief, and Angela Ahrendts, Apple's head of retail.

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The redesign means that the Apple Store in your mall might soon look far different than it did before. The new design has already made its debut at stores in Brussels, Belgium, Memphis, Tennessee, and Guilderland, New York.

theres a gigantic screen in the back of the apple store for demonstrations and looping videos
Apple

And soon, the new design will make its biggest splash when the new San Francisco flagship store opens this weekend.

Here's how the design has changed and what the new stores look like:

 

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Here's what the store in Brussels look like on the inside. It's simple and minimalist, as you'd expect, but with subtle soft lighting.

like many other apple stores theres a big emphasis on natural finishes apple used a lot of timber for this open plan
Apple

Beats headphones now have built-in display shelves on a wall, meaning the tables for Macs, iPhones, and Apple Watches are less cluttered.

Apple Store headphones
YouTube/OneMoreThing.nl
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But the biggest change is that each Apple store will be equipped with a enormous screen that reportedly costs $1.5 million per location. They really are huge.

 

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Some people are so enthralled with the new wall screens that they can watch it cycle through for a while.

 

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For now, those screens display a loop of Apple product videos, but it's possible that Apple has future integration with, say, Genius Bar appointments in its plans as it combines its online and retail operations. The screen can also be used for product demonstrations.

The massive jumbotron-like screens will be situated directly across from the entrance in most locations, like the store nearby Memphis, Tennessee.

Memphis Apple Store
Apple
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And the exterior of the new Apple Store features huge glass panels — like the next-gen store outside Memphis.

 

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The wooden tables Apple's using were designed by Jony Ive and include motion sensors that conceal power outlets. Each table has a single cord connecting it to power.

 

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Apple actually tested this next-generation design in a mock store located somewhere near Apple Headquarters.

 

Retail boss Angela Ahrendts gave Charlie Rose a tour of the secret Apple Store lab last December.

Ahrendts Rose
CBS

Watch the  whole segment here.

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There's also a new emphasis on Apple's own cases and other "soft goods."

 

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Apple says that its stores run completely on renewable energy.

 

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Even in malls, the new Apple Store design should stand out.

 

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And soon, the new store design will make its West Coast debut when the new Apple Union Square location opens in San Francisco.

 

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