If you walk into any Apple Store when it opens in the morning, you might notice that all of the new MacBook Pro notebooks with the Retina Display are positioned at exactly the same angle. It’s not just because Apple loves symmetry, it’s all about building a sense of ownership.
…the main reason notebook computers screens are slightly angled is to encourage customers to adjust the screen to their ideal viewing angle—in other words, to touch the computer! It’s also why all computers and iPads in the Apple Store are loaded with apps and software and connected to the Internet. Apple wants you to see the display for yourself and to experiment with apps and web sites to experience the power and performance of the devices.
A customer in an Apple Retail Store can spend as much time as they like playing with the devices on display, even come in and plug into a sync cable if their iPhone or iPod is running low on juice, no one will bother them.
I worked in an Apple Store a few years back. Everyday that I was in the store, I would see the same thing. People would enter the store and just “engage”. They would check their email on a Mac, play a game on an iPad, or try out FaceTime with their friends on an iPhone. I witnessed a homeless gentleman quietly walk into the store, sit on a stool at an iMac and check his email, surf a bit, then grab his belongings, wave thanks to an employee, and go on his way. He wasn’t going to buy anything, but he was still part of the Apple family.
Interactivity is built in to every aspect of the Apple Store experience. Trainers who are teaching customers how to use Apple products in “One to One” workshops don’t touch the customers computer or device without permission, instead they gently guide the customer to find the solutions themselves.
The Apple Store was not created to just “sell stuff”, instead by creating an ownership experience, customers become more loyal to the brand. I became a Mac owner in 2007 when I purchased my first MacBook. For 6 months before my purchase, I spent at least 2 lunch breaks a week at my nearby Apple Store just playing with the computers. Trying things out, and asking questions. The blue shirts working there made sure they were available if I had any questions, but stayed out of my way, allowing me to “play” to my hearts content. The result was, I felt like a Mac owner well before I actually pulled out my credit card to make the purchase.
The Apple Store works. Other retailers would do well to observe and learn. Big box retailers such as Circuit City failed to learn, and paid the price. Best Buy is currently running into the same difficulties with its stores. Apple Stores flourish, and the brand continues to grow.
When you walk up to a MacBook Pro in an Apple Store, you reach up and adjust the screen to your proper viewing angle. And, the sense of ownership begins.