Telstra has revealed the addition of almost one million new mobile services in the six months to December 2011, but Sensis revenues plummeted 24 percent in 12 months.
The front of the store is completely open, there being no store windows. So the "door", as such, is the entire shopfront, which leads to the Matrix-like "there is no door". Each of the sections with Macs, iPods, iPhones and more is within, even the Genius Bar.
CNET Australia went to the trouble of asking Apple Australia a question, something that’s usually quite pointless because of something known as a “standard response”, which is “no comment”.
The question was whether or not the store was “template” for other retail stores in Australia. The standard response was elicited.
However, while it might be difficult to figure out what Apple has in store, so to speak, for future product releases, future store designs will clearly depend on the amount of space Apple has leased.
The template is a store with several stations, lots of product on display, a genius bar, lots of knowledgeable staff, bright lights, clean design and... if there’s the space... a section where classes can be held to teach consumers about Apple hardware and software, as happens in many flagship Apple stores overseas and in the Sydney CBD store.
This IS the global template. Asking Apple about something this obvious only gives them a chance to use its two favourite words - and I don't mean iPhone and iPod!
The next Apple store to open in Australia will be in the similar sounding suburb of Chadstone in suburban Melbourne, in the Chadstone shopping centre, later this year.
Seeing as I now live in Melbourne, I’ll try to get to this store opening to see how long the Apple “Amway-style ra-ra” makes a reappearance for, and how many people turn up, although given that it will be the first official Apple store in the state of Victoria, the turnout could well be a lot bigger.
So... after all that Apple bashing... which I’m expecting some fanbois will likely want to crucify me over, it really is worth your while to visit any official Apple store, whether you have any intention of buying anything, or not.
It will make you wonder why more retailers, beyond Telstra and its T-Life stores, aren’t copying the Apple retail experience!
David Bass
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