Apple BKC: As Apple Opens First Store In India, Here Are 7 Facts You Probably Didn’t Know
India will be joining the list of 25 countries that have flagship Apple Stores around the world.
When Apple launched its first flagship store in Virginia in 2001, many believed the concept would be a total failure. Just like many believed the Macintosh would never work and that the iPhone would be an absolute disaster. It is safe to say that over the years Apple has managed to prove these people wrong. The Macintosh started the computer revolution, the iPhone is arguably the most popular single smartphone series around, and Apple Stores have emerged as the most profitable tech retail chains around the world, offering an experience that goes beyond purchasing tech.
This experience is all set to come to India as well. The Cupertino tech giant recently announced that India will be joining the list of 25 countries that have flagship Apple Stores around the world. The first store, Apple BKC, will open in Mumbai on April 18, followed by the opening of another, Apple Saket, in New Delhi on April 20.
IN PICS: A Sneak Peek Into Apple's First India Retail Store
Unlike retail stores from other tech brands that often just display and sell their products, Apple Stores go past the usual realm of selling and buying a product. So as Apple gears to bring its flagships to India, here's a look at seven amazing facts about the chain of stores:
Steve Jobs Shelved First Apple Store Layout
They say ‘good things take time’ and that was certainly true in the case of Apple Stores. Just when the original planned layout of the store was done, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs decided to shelve it, which caused a delay of months.
While he was unhappy by the delay, Jobs mentioned that the brand had one chance to get it right and hence pushing the opening was the right decision. And the right decision it was, considering the kind of positive response it received.
Getting Hired At An Apple Store Was More Difficult Than Getting Into Harvard
This may seem like an exaggeration but at one point it was true. According to Apple, in 2009, over 10,000 people submitted their applications to work at its Upper West Side store in Manhattan. Out of these 10,000 people, a few more than 200 managed to bag a position.
This means the store had an acceptance rate of 2 per cent, which was below the 7 per cent acceptance rate at Harvard the year before, as per a Boston Globe report. Talk about tough hiring standards!
The First Apple Store Was Actually Online
Having an online store may not sound like a big deal in today’s day and age but back in 1997 it was hardly even heard of. But Apple launched its very first online retail store shortly after Steve Jobs had rejoined the company in 1997.
Along with making a number of changes to its product line-up, Jobs also launched an online retail store on November 10, 1997, which turned out to be a massive success. The store went on to achieve a million dollars a day in revenue soon after it was launched.
A Raging Success From The Get-Go
Notwithstanding the cynicism around the move, the official Apple Store was a success from the very beginning.
During the opening weekend, the first two stores had a footfall of 7,700, which was quite high for an electronics store.
This translated into revenue as well. Over the opening weekend alone, the stores saw revenue of over half a million dollars. The success streak continued as these stores became the fastest retail stores to get to the one-billion-dollar revenue mark and managed to do it in only three years.
Jobs Thought Genius Bars Were ‘Idiotic’
While Genius Bars and Apple Stores may seem like a match made in heaven now, their existence at Apple Stores was questioned quite thoroughly by Steve Jobs himself.
When Apple was launching its flagship Apple Store in 2001 in Virginia, Jobs reportedly thought the idea of having a Genius Bar within the store was “idiotic” and something that would “never work.”
He later warmed up to the idea. Genius Bars are now an Apple Store USP.
It Wasn’t Jobs’ Idea
He was the brain behind the very successful online Apple Store, but the offline Apple Store was not Jobs’ idea. It came from a retail veteran named Mickey Drexler who was a board member at the time and had served as the CEO of Gap Inc.
While the idea-seed was Drexler’s, it was Ron Johnson, the senior vice president of retail operations, that took turned it into the flourished, fruitful tree that it is today.
Apple Hired A Consultant For Its Stores
If this does not tell you how important these stores were to Steve Jobs, nothing will. Jobs had admitted publicly that he did not believe in hiring consultants as they often do not have enough time to dive deep enough to solve the problem.
But he did so for the Apple Stores.
In an interview, Jobs mentioned that the only time he had ever hired consultants in his 10 years was when he hired a firm to analyse Gateway’s retail strategy so that Apple would not make the same mistakes they did while embarking on this retail journey.
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