It would make sense for Apple to begin transitioning to a new store layout. They have invested lots of time and money pushing their brick-and-mortar stores, and have obviously stayed ahead of the competition (notably MS) in terms of product presentation and consumer appeal.

To what end are they switching things up? Likely to where they evolve the concept of having an open communal environment that merges tech with simplicity, to where an Apple product is in touch with what is natural; the zen of Apple.

If you’re the plan-o-gram manager, change is necessary to keep your job!

Ctopher
No no; The change must be more than for mere job security. It’s about evolution toward the better, more elevated experience. You must see the trend, at least linearly, from a typical general store with shelves of products, then to boutiques, on to Apple Store I, Apple Store II (Manhattan), and now to an environmentally comprehensive retail space experience as mentioned in this article.

I would love to attend Mass and worship inside this sort of environment. And this reminds me of a similar method employed by the Catholic Church during the Counter-Reformation, where the structure was made to appeal to the senses and emotion via color, shape, variety of objects and materials, pageantry, and enhanced story telling, this, in order to bring back and retain the fold from the Protestant Reformation. This style is known as Baroque. The Byzantine had the same goal with direct experience but with less realism. It’s a shame that Catholic churches have stopped evolving beyond the Baroque in terms of the over-all experience.

I understand the rumored new design in this context.

If you’re the plan-o-gram manager, change is necessary to keep your job!

Unfortunately I’ve seen that all too often. If there is to be a change it must improve the consumer experience. I’ve seen many stores go to a new layout, rearrange the same products and then are shocked when it does not help sales. In some cases it actually hurt sales because there was nothing compelling to bring new people in and old (and oldER) customers got pissed because they couldn’t find things.