The Apple-ization of retail continues as AT&T’s stores are getting a big makeover. The new look will be getting a nationwide rollout, and will feature plenty of wood, products to play with, and no check-out counters. (Is this all sounding familiar to you yet?)
Instead, workers with tablets will be able to help customers face-to-face throughout the store.
“Transactions belong on the Web, and interactions belong in the store,” AT&T retail head Paul Roth said in an interview.
Roth stated that the company paid particular attention to how the web has changed retailing. “The next 10 years of retail are going to be very different than the last 100, and that’s primarily to the growth of the Web,” Roth said.
Transactions will be largely done over the internet, the store will be the place to come to see and touch products, and get personal attention. (I repeat, is any of this sounding familiar?)
Over time, AT&T plans to remodel all of its stores to reflect the new look. An employee only store with the new look is already open on the company’s campus in Atlanta, and the first public store will open soon in La Grange, IL. 15 to 20 redesigned stores are planned for before the end of the year.
“We believe we have the winning formula, and we are going to start rolling it out,” Roth said.
