Apple is working on a sweeping retail overhaul that would bring back dedicated Genius Bars to its stores, create new spaces for order pickup and Today at Apple classes, and remove oversized video walls, according to BloombergIt’s Mark Gurman.
In this week’s “Power On” newsletter, Gurman said Apple intends to accelerate store renovations in the coming years. Apple plans to rework the “Avenue,” its term for the side sections of a store where accessories and services are displayed, reinstate free-standing Genius Bars and remove large video screens installed in many locations.
Pickup and Today at Apple, which today typically share a counter and seating area, will each have their own compact section along the avenue, described internally as a “bay” and measuring about 10 feet in diameter.
For pickup, Gurman outlined plans for an all-wood bay with a faint Apple logo embedded in the top, with lockable drawers underneath to hold customer orders, in front of a counter where staff can return items. The Today at Apple bay will feature a similar look, topped with a screen similar to a large TV, with drawers underneath to store iPads, laptops and other classroom equipment, as well as a fixed instructor table and stools nearby.
The video walls being removed date back to the retail vision pursued by former retail chief Angela Ahrendts, who treated Apple stores as public gathering places rather than purely transactional spaces. Gurman describes the current shift as a transition to stores built primarily around service, satisfaction and everyday shopping needs.
Where these screens fall, most stores will benefit from a wooden Genius Bar, built to echo the design Apple used before introducing the open-plan “Genius Grove”. It features counters placed at two different heights for accessibility, supported by a wall of storage drawers and large product images. Gurman added that the new bars and avenue bays are meant to feel like they’ve always belonged to the store, rather than visible renovations, and that many of the renovated locations will also have their break rooms and other back areas renovated.
Elements of the redesign are already present in a small number of stores around the world. Gurman expects the more comprehensive version of the proposed store redesign to gradually reach most newly opened and renovated stores, with the international rollout continuing over several years.
Separately, Gurman reports that Apple has tightened expectations for staff during pre-opening meetings, with employees more firmly required to stand, put away their phones and drinks, and pay attention. Once the doors open to customers, five minutes before the posted time, every staff member on site is expected to clap as the first shoppers enter.
