Apple has proven resilient to the economic challenges many consumer technology companies have faced lately and the opening of a new retail store in one of London’s wealthiest areas perfectly embodies its continued success. We took a peek inside.
The new Brompton Road Apple Store – situated in Knightsbridge, amidst fashion retailers and adjacent to the famous Harrods luxury department store – is located on the site of the former Brompton Arcade, which dates back to 1903.
Like the company’s other London stores on Regent Street and Covent Garden, the Brompton Road design pays homage to the location where it was found; with seven-meter-high, floor-to-ceiling arched glass windows whose shape echoes the original arcade. As the storefronts go, it’s hard to miss, especially when you can see what’s inside.
green building
As with the company’s original location on Regent Street – which opened in London in 2004 and was later renovated in 2016 – the Brompton Road Apple Store features a familiar open-plan layout, dressed in natural materials, designed to reflect the company’s credentials. company greens.
Sandblasted Castagna stone lines the walls and pillars, the tiled floor is made from a bio-resin that includes castor oil and recycled glass, and both the tables decorated with iPhones, iPads and Macs and the vaulted ceilings are all sustainable wood carvings; with twelve sizable fig trees helping to soften the space, intended to remind visitors that this is not just a retail space.
Located just steps away from one of the city’s most central green spaces, Hyde Park, at launch, Apple dressed the windows in plant-based motifs, mixed with some of its most popular products, and attendees of the preview event walked away with a pack of wildflower seeds with the same bespoke designs – not the typical thing Apple customers can expect to buy when the store formally opens on July 28.
take and go
Speaking of pick-up, Brompton Road Apple Store is the first in the country to introduce Apple Pickup: a new dedicated area where those who have ordered online can go straight in and pick up their new Apple gadgets, with staff on hand to try new Apple owners. iPhone to pick up a case with your latest purchase or a new set of AirPods.
It overcomes having to flag a store representative among the crowd of customers, as can be the case with the launch of new Apple products.
educate and entertain
As with other iconic locations, Apple’s new Brompton Road store will also host a number of free events; with training, lectures and much more, involving areas such as fitness and creativity.
To mark the opening day, Apple Vice President of Fitness Technologies Jay Blahnik will be in attendance, joined by trainers Cory Wharton-Malcolm, Jamie-Ray Hartshorne, Kim Ngo and Jonelle Lewis, who will lead an Apple Fitness + Session question-and-answer session, followed by a three-kilometer walk and a five-kilometer run around Hyde Park.
Additional sessions, including AR talks (the preview event also marked the launch of the new ‘United Visions’ AR Experience (opens in new tab)created for the Getty Museum by Tin&Ed and award-winning production company Just Blaze), as well as illustration sessions, where attendees will be shown how to create using ‘inspiration from local flowers,’ as Apple puts it.
Indoor and outdoor fans
The Apple retail store team is a notoriously passionate group and that rang true based on the interactions we had during the preview event.
The 200-person team is made up of musicians, artists and developers from 26 nationalities, speaking 45 languages and talking to a handful of them. initial wave of curious customers.
The stage is set
The Apple Store Brompton Road makes a strong first impression, carrying all the features that make the company’s other London locations such compelling retail experiences.
There’s little doubt that this new store will host a familiar lineup of enthusiastic Apple fans in the coming months when the iPhone 14 series finally arrives (hopefully in late September). Even if the rumors are true and the iPhone 14 ends up sporting a higher price tag than its predecessor, nowhere else in the city of London will a few extra pounds go unnoticed than in wealthy Knightsbridge.