10+ Apple retail insights we learned today
Apple’s VP retail, Angela Ahrendts, talked about Apple retail at the Cannes Lions event in France. Here are ten things we learned when she did.
The importance of humans
“Apple is in a leadership position when it comes to environmental responsibility and we’ve said in retail that we have a human responsibility,” she said. “I think it’s important that the largest tech company in the world makes the largest investment in humans in the world.”
Thank you to the creative community who joined us at #CannesLions today to hear about #TodayatApple and how our retail experience inspires learning, unlocks creativity and encourages human connection. pic.twitter.com/64i4NL9SeY
— Angela Ahrendts (@AngelaAhrendts) June 20, 2018
Impact the planet
“It’s not just technology alone. It’s technology when it’s married with the liberal arts, married with the humanities that impacts the world and makes our heart sing.”
Some really interesting insight on the future of retail from Apple's @AngelaAhrendts!
For more expert insights and sign up for a #CannesLions Digital Pass, available here https://t.co/VB1kN9uzpt pic.twitter.com/AsBKbSURe2
— LIONS | The Home of Creativity (@Cannes_Lions) June 20, 2018
Retail must evolve
“The smart outside guys, they don’t say retail’s dying. They say digital’s going to grow at three times the rate of physical. In the next five years 75 percent of people will shop online – shop – but 75 percent of the business will still be done in physical stores.So, retail’s not dying, but it has to evolve. I think it has to serve a bigger purpose than just selling.”
Apple retail is about values
“You guys have been to Apple stores, you feel that energy and the values at Apple of the store teams and the loyalty and the tenure. The company’s values are aligned with my values and when you have that (you think) ‘let’s go.'”
"Apple's DNA is Creativity, but…" @AngelaAhrendts on stage at #CannesLions talking about the DNA of @Apple!
For more great insights, sign up for a #CannesLions Digital Pass, available here https://t.co/VB1kN9uzpt pic.twitter.com/Uek13M77FN
— LIONS | The Home of Creativity (@Cannes_Lions) June 20, 2018
How Apple retail works
Apple keeps an internal social network it calls ‘Loop’. It uses this to measure retail customer satisfaction by surveying customers and employees. “They are not hired to sell,” she said. “There is no commission, no quotas. What we’ve tried to do is keep uniting them around the big vision and the impact we want to make.”
The human business
“I love the creative arts… that’s kind of when we came up with the tagline: maybe we’re in the human business. Maybe the largest tech company has these 65,000 kids and maybe it’s our job to humanize technology.”
"Apple is in the human business, it's our job to humanise technology", says @angelaahrendts of Apple!
Catch expert insights and more with the #CannesLions Digital Pass, available here https://t.co/VB1kN9uzpt pic.twitter.com/TDXHTdikHV
— LIONS | The Home of Creativity (@Cannes_Lions) June 20, 2018
Hardware and software
“Our stores are our biggest product. They’re our hardware and what happens inside is software.”
Today at Apple
“Today at Apple could become the company’s largest platform for enriching lives.”
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Advice for women
“To young girls: to thyself be true. And use your instincts, and don’t let anybody ever tell you that you can’t, you shouldn’t … Not in this day and age.”
https://twitter.com/fjord/status/1009457843274244096
On the future of Apple retail
“We’re not opening small stores, we’re taking the small stores and doubling or tripling the size of them to accommodate a forum and we’re only opening big stores in the future that can handle it,” she said. She also said she wants to take the design (including furniture and more) at Apple Park and put it inside every retail store.
Up next
Apple’s next store opening is in Macau on June 29. It will also open new locations in Milan, in Paris on the Champs Elysees and at the Carnegie Library in Washington, D.C.
