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New "Apple Shop" Mini Stores Appearing at Best Buy

Takuro

By Takuro

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What began with iPods has now become a hot seller for Best Buy retailers: Apple products. After a recent announcement to greatly expand their Mac program, stores nationwide have begun to retrofit sections of their stores in an effort to resemble to Apple stores.

 

Best Buy has gone through great lengths to give their Apple display an authentic feel. A large black wall fitted with cinema displays and illuminated Apple logos welcomes customers to the "Apple Shop." A wooden table adorned with iMacs, MacBooks, and MacBook Pros is available for shoppers to try the latest Apple machines hands-on, just as in full-scale Apple stores. Next to the table lies a wooden shelf stocked with cables, mice, routers, replacement notebook batteries, and 3rd-party Mac peripherals. The "shop" certainly serves as a convenient way to fulfill most of your Mac needs.

 

The Apple Shop is just one step in Apple's ongoing effort to spread its product line to areas that don't have local Apple Stores. Apple projects that over 200 Best Buy retailers will participate in the program by Fall 07. For people who never previously entered an Apple store, the program allows a wider customer base to get a taste of what it's like to "Think Different."

 

"Apple Shop" Pictures: (Courtesy of AppleInsider)

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/frijole/sets/72157600838727626/

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Paranoid Marvin

Paranoid Marvin 1

Posted

IMHO, Apple has enough Apple Stores in America

 

C'mon Apple, build at least one in Scotland

OoTLink

OoTLink 0

Posted

AWESOME!!!! :) I can hardly wait to find that at our local best buy!

BJMoose

BJMoose 4

Posted

Our local Best Buy has virtually the same setup mentioned above. I spent some time looking around there yesterday. For me, it's much more convenient than the Apple Store which is located in the middle of a huge shopping mall and I hate :blush: going to the mall for anything.

SurferSD

SurferSD 0

Posted

I'm traveling Europe right now for work and I am currently here in Malmo, Sweden and just checked out the "MacSupport" store. Not sure if it is an authorized RE-seller or the name that Apple uses in Europe.

 

 

It didn't have the complete feel of an Apple Store... of course it also didn't have iPhone propaganda everywhere though... wonder if Best Buy will be selling the iPhone...

sandmanfvrga

sandmanfvrga 0

Posted

IMHO, Apple has enough Apple Stores in America

 

C'mon Apple, build at least one in Scotland

 

You got to be kidding me? :blush: Dude, many of us in the US can't get to a Mac store without drive hours and then it is not feasible to just drive to one and TRY a mac out. Enough? No offense, but this is ESSENTIAL to Apple and will get Macs in the public stores.

 

The one thing that Apple lacks is ability to go to local stores and buy Macs. They did it with iPod and I will say that contributed to a lot of the iPod's success, some still don't like online ordering. With this move, Apple may see a huge jump in sales.

GBK.Xscape

GBK.Xscape 0

Posted

Yea, these have been around for more than a year already........ :(

This is where i bought my Macbook Pro last september.......

One cool this is that Best Buy's warranty is MUCH MUCH better than Apple's.

Bestbuy has a warranty that is more expensive but also covers accidental damage such as dropping your laptop or spilling something on it.

Much better than Apple's applecare........

Danyel

Danyel 0

Posted

Hi Takuro:

 

I think this is a good idea. The more exposure people have to Apple products, the more likely they are to buy Apple products. In addition, like Sandman commented, part of the iPod's success was due to the fact that it was available in local stores.

 

--danyel ^_^

DannyBoye

DannyBoye 0

Posted

It's great and all, but it looks like a sore thumb compared to Best Buys setup. The half wall thing seems out of place.

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Headrush69

Headrush69 0

Posted

It's great and all, but it looks like a sore thumb compared to Best Buys setup. The half wall thing seems out of place.

157183236.png

Can't say I've seen the Best Buy setup, but here in Canada we have more Future Shops than Best Buy stores. (They are the same parent company)

The Apple sections in the Future Shops I've visited always look like an after thought and are usually neglected.

Even if they were better and/or the Best Buy setup is improved, these type stores suffer severely from a lack of Macintosh "friendly" sales agents.

 

As flashy as a Apple products might look, just takes some sales agent to tell a customer "No you can't do that on a Mac", and even though the statement is completely wrong, average joe customer looks elsewhere.

CLiDE FTW!!1

CLiDE FTW!!1 0

Posted

Yea, these have been around for more than a year already........ :P

This is where i bought my Macbook Pro last september.......

One cool this is that Best Buy's warranty is MUCH MUCH better than Apple's.

Bestbuy has a warranty that is more expensive but also covers accidental damage such as dropping your laptop or spilling something on it.

Much better than Apple's applecare........

True...

 

my buddy bought a 15GB 3G iPod back a couple few ago... and the harddrive started to go on it, so Future Shop took it in and couldn't fix it within 2 weeks, so, since they didn't have any 3G iPods in stock, he got a 30GB 5G iPod free of charge.

empreality

empreality 0

Posted

Meh, it doesn't really seem to bring out the same vibe as the normal store, which has all the tables, walls, floors match...The lighting is bright and vibrant, they have those Mac Pros with drool-worthy 30" displays...

Basically it's a whole experience going to a apple store....

jtwh20

jtwh20 0

Posted

i have to say i droool over apple products at the apple store, compusa or where ever....

 

plus it's easier to scout "open box buys" at compusa, and hopefully best buy...


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