There are at least some people that might call me a Macintosh power user. I fix the things for a living for a certain school system that has become notorious among Mac users for their plan to shift to a mostly Windows environment. I have owned an assortment of Apple computers over the years, including various Apple IIs, black and white Macs, Mac clones, and currently a Dual 1mhz G4, three iBooks and a G4 Powerbook (and an iPod). I create DVDs all the time, maintain web pages, help my sons with their film and music related activities, and try to maintain a working knowledge of almost every piece of software for Macs out there, in case anyone asks me how to do something with them.
So you may think that for someone like me, it must be terrific working across the street from an Apple store, right? Well, unfortunately, it is not all that is cracked up to be. I have made use of the genius bar a few times in the last couple of years for work-related questions, and sometimes the guys there were helpful. I also have had to deal with them a number of times for warranty issues, but those are (hopefully) exceptional occasions.
But unless I happen to be in the market for another Mac (which I am not, thank you), there is very little reason to go there. If I want to find out about new software, I can get the news much faster online, and I can purchase it much cheaper, and usually faster after initial release as well.
So the problem for me is, why bother walking into the Apple Store at all? I walk by the place every single day, and go in once every couple of weeks, walk around the store, and walk out. There usually is nothing there for me. Try to imagine somebody that is not a Macintosh user, or in the market for a portable music player, and who is not consciously looking for a new computer, walking past that store. Why should this person go in?
Now imagine if the Apple Store also sold nifty branded low cost items, like Apple T-Shirts, pens, print calendars, posters, watches, hats, etc. People would be flocking in to get these ultra-cool items, and at least some of them might start drooling over iPods, PowerBooks, or some of the other gear there. By maintaining a constantly changing line of fashion wear and putting some of it right out in the window, young people with some pocket money might start hanging out at the store, becoming familiar with the machinery on sale, and start bugging their parents to get computers and iPods from there. And while I understand hardware sales are pretty profitable at the Apple Stores, I've never heard of a store that couldn't use a lot more business.
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