Retailing at Apple

          There are over three hundred Apple retail stores worldwide and four in the New York City area. I decide to explore the Apple store located on fifth avenue rather than the one in Soho because I never been to that particular Apple location before and for the popularity of the location with residents of New York and tourists, and I never shopped at that Apple location before. The Apple store is located next to the CBS station building and is on the same avenue as high scale clothing stores such as Gucci and Saks fifth.

          I walked into the store and the first thing I notice was the sleek and unique design of the store. The store looked very clean and provided an attractive appearance to people walking in. It is interesting to see that the design of the store looks similar to the sleek designing of all Apple’s products. The store provides EVERYTHING that is Apple. From all IPod models to all Macs, whether it is the Macbook, Macbook Pro, IMac or Macbook Air, it is all there. Not to the mention the new IPhone 4S which recently been release last week. All products in the store were typically Apple but is not limited to. There are other products such as headsets, stereo systems, and backpacks in the Apple store. All Apple electronic products are all at the consumer fingertips, which give the consumer the right to be informed and to pick and choose. The employees, which approximately consist of fifty members, were very helpful and informative on Apple products sharing their knowledge and experiences with the brand. There was also a section where employees teach you how to use your Apple product if you are a first time buyer. I look at this as a tactic to establish a long-term customer relationship with the consumer. There was another section where if you were having troubleshooting problems, the “genius” at that Apple store could assist you.

          Overall, the visit to the Apple store on fifth avenue was a unique one. I witnessed consumers going through the decision-making process, the marketing environment and strategies, and good ethical behavior from the employees which are all element of business that we are learning in class. This shopping experience was very informative to me on how businesses work and market their products to consumers in retail stores.