POWER PLAYERS 2017: APPLE’S ANGELA AHRENDTS SAYS RETAIL IS THE PRODUCT

Apple has had a recent $215.6 billion redesign of its stores under the eye of Angela Ahrendts, the company’s current Senior Vice President of Retail. Ahrendts is a former fashion executive whose resume includes Liz Clairborne, Donna Karan, and most notably Burberry, the latter of which she was credited with turning into the luxury brand it is today. Her strategy with Apple’s retail stores was to turn them into “town squares” to symbolize the 500 million people that gather there every year. These town squares consist of new features to elevate the customer experience and go beyond a sole transactional purpose.

Vivaldi CEO and Founder Erich Joachimsthaler spoke to AdAge about how Ahrendts’ expertise have transferred over from fashion to tech: “She articulated the Burberry brand as a retailer when it was nothing else than a wholesaler of trench coats. Now she has done the same thing again. Apple is more than just a device or a computer. She’s able to create, with these ‘town squares,’ an Apple community.” Apple is currently in the midst of remodeling dozens of its locations and adding even more to its 500-store count.