To write a post proposing something you think Apple “should do” is to tread on dangerous ground. There’s a good chance one of the teams inside Apple has already given that great idea a little more thought than you and discovered a fatal flaw. It is with this context in mind that I am going to watch my step and cautiously propose an idea I think Apple should revisit.
Last week, Apple added a great photo gallery to the webpage for Apple Pacific Centre. This is a notable addition — galleries are few and far between on retail pages and seem to appear with no identifiable pattern.
It’s a bit serendipitous that I recently needed to visit a Warby Parker store and found myself browsing locations on their retail website, which I was delighted to find is richly detailed.
Every single Warby Parker store has a remarkably consistent webpage, and all but a tiny handful of locations include a photo gallery and a short, well-crafted description of what makes the store unique. This is the kind of detail I crave from Apple Retail webpages and so rarely get. Scroll through a few stores, and you’ll see what I mean. In many ways, the quality of these pages exceeds what Apple is offering today. (They even have links to sign up for information about upcoming locations!) I enjoyed my visit to Warby Parker much more having been given background on the store beforehand. It’s a small addition, but I’ve been thinking about it ever since.
Apple should add this level of detail to every one of its own retail webpages. Stores are already extensively photographed before opening, but the only image customers usually see is the hero shot. The content to build out a more immersive web presence like this largely already exists. That said, I have identified a few snags.
If you tried to write short, unique descriptions for all 522 Apple Stores, I have a hunch that after you covered the top ~150 newest and most significant locations, the task would quickly become devilishly difficult. What can be said about Apple Crocker Park that is not also true of Apple Bayshore? The crop of stores that popped up in the early days of the iPhone was incredibly uniform. It’s also aging, so some of the photography might have to be reshot.
Warby Parker’s advantage here is that they have far fewer stores and each includes some kind of unique, permanent mural commissioned by a notable artist. It’s difficult to date the age of merchandise in their stores, so the photography is more timeless. They also operate retail locations exclusively in the United States and Canada, which means that store descriptions and alt text don’t have to be localized.
Apple has made some great attempts to elevate the pages of significant stores in the past, but each falls victim to the endless churn of the web before the format gets a foothold. Locations like Apple Boylston Street featured a store gallery and description much like I am proposing at the very beginning. More than a decade ago, Apple began adding 360-degree imagery to some store webpages. Beginning in 2017, stores like Apple Michigan Avenue, Piazza Liberty, and Carnegie Library (archive links) introduced “Explore the store” sections with beautiful architectural photography and historical details. Aside from Apple Tower Theatre, these were swept away to focus on health and safety measures early in the pandemic and only a small set of image carousels returned.
If Apple can tackle the challenge, boosting retail pages seems like a win for everyone: customers will feel a deeper connection when they visit a store, and Apple gets to highlight some of its most important assets.
Black Unity Collection
This year’s Black Unity Collection is the first since Apple Watch merchandising was completely reimagined with all-new fixtures. There’s a lot to see no matter what type of store you visit:
Avenues
5, 10, and 15-foot versions of the band bay celebrate the creative process of mosaic with dimensional panels that vibrate with the colors of the Pan-African flag. A fourth, custom display was designed just for Apple Park Visitor Center.
Risers
Apple Watch risers feature matching Black Unity graphics and the new Black Unity Sport Loop. Demo iPads are running a matching video loop.
Display Table
The dwindling number of stores that are still hanging on to their Apple Watch Display tables added a full-length graphic below the glass. This might be the last time we see a special glass display table design.
Black Resistance Through Art
In addition to the Black Unity Collection, Black History Month is being recognized at major US stores with the new Today at Apple collection Black Resistance Through Art. Exclusive sessions run through February 28.
Featured image
Apple Piazza Liberty
Photo via Lorenzo Toso.