A safer store
Apple Stores add protective bollards.
There are 241 outdoor Apple Stores, and of these, roughly 100 stores in the United States have entrances adjacent to a parking lot or road. Last November, in light of the devastating car fatality at Apple Derby Street, I studied the protections in place at all of these locations. Today I have an update.
At the time of the incident, I was able to identify 61 locations with either minimal protection or no vehicle barriers at all. The risk varied from store to store. Is a store vulnerable if cars drive parallel to the entrance? Is a bench or sapling almost as effective as bollards? How much does sidewalk width matter? The answers to these questions depend on your risk tolerance.
Most alarming were locations where cars park perpendicular to the store entrance. This layout is most common in strip malls and is almost exclusive to Apple Stores in the United States — stores in other countries generally have very low pedestrian risk.
Over the past year, Apple has taken action, gradually installing bollards at many of its most at-risk stores. New stores are opening with vehicle barriers already in place. Sometimes the barriers are decorative, like sturdy planters or stone benches. Most often, they’re brushed metal posts with a rounded top. In classic Apple fashion, the design appears to be consistent at every store.
So far, bollards or other effective protections have been added to Apple Derby Street, The Summit, Scottsdale Quarter, Lincoln Park, Boylston Street, Legacy Place, ABQ Uptown, Friendly Center, and Tice’s Corner. There are likely more locations I haven’t found yet. These stores were some of the most vulnerable, and while many remain, I’m now optimistic that Apple will continue safety improvements until every store is adequately protected.
It’s sad that it took a tragedy to inspire change, but I’m glad Apple is listening.
Fading away
In Chicago, Apple’s original Michigan Avenue location sat mostly vacant since the store moved in 2017. The signature Apple logo window was bricked in, but everything else remained intact, down to the window display. Now things are changing. H&M is renovating the store, and by renovating, I mean they’re essentially demolishing everything except for the frame. The project’s current status in uncannily similar to this shot taken 20 years ago.
iPad + Apple Pencil
Following an Apple Newsroom article highlighting the ways Chinese users rely on iPad and Apple Pencil, Apple created a temporary installation in front of Apple Xiamen Lifestyle Center and hosted a special Today at Apple session in the store with local artists and students.
The display was filled with work created by the artists hosting the session, and demo iPads were mounted on the colorful blocks and walls scattered around the floor. Check out this gallery on Weibo with more photos.
On August 18, Apple also hosted this special session at Apple Sanlitun in Beijing to celebrate 30 years of Apple in China.
Featured image
Apple Scottsdale Fashion Square
Photo via @hide_masuda.