SCVtalk has been on the case of the new Apple store, ever since breaking the news back in February. Apple seemed amused by the coverage, so they extended an invite. Jeff had some Carmageddon-avoidance plan that had him out of town, so he put me on the case.
So we’re clear, the only computer I’ve ever had at home, work or school has been a Mac. I’m in the tank for Apple, always have been. My family bought its first Mac, a Mac Plus, the year we moved to Valencia way back when. It’s been a long time coming, and for people like me, this is a big deal.
At 10 a.m. yesterday, the doors opened and the new Apple Store at the Valencia Town Center was in business. The line snaked around the building, stretching past the Five Guys entrance on the opposite side. I spoke with Michelle Heid of Valencia, who lined up with her son Ty at 9:30. She’s been a Mac user since high school and she was thrilled to finally see Apple set up shop in the SCV. The line moved briskly, and Michelle and Ty made it inside by 10:15 or so.
Each of the first 1,000 customers got a free commemorative black t-shirt, packaged in a crafty sort of box. At 11 a.m. sharp, the queue had emptied and nearly all of the shirts were gone.
It seems that wherever 100 or more people congregate in Santa Clarita, the Chick-Fil-A cow appears, with his handler issuing coupons. It’s not enough that the first wave of customers scored a Valencia Apple Store shirt, but free chicken as well.
The store is striking, as Apple Stores tend to be. It’s a long space with high ceilings and there isn’t a cash register in sight. Employees scan credit cards and email receipts with specially-fitted iPod touch units. If you pay in cash, they’ll make change from cash drawer that’s built into a table. I’ve never seen anything like it.
Not only that, the signs that used to display features and pricing have been replaced by iPads that run a product information app. You see fewer printers and software has all but vanished, limited to about 20 titles. Apple now sells software over the internet, directly through an application in its latest operating systems. The effect of this is striking – the only titles on display were tent-pole titles like Adobe’s Creative Suite and Microsoft Office, since neither is available on Apple’s App Store.
Customer engagement is a big deal here, and at times, it seemed that there were almost as many employees as customers. Of course there’s a Genius bar in the back, where they handle tough questions and repairs. There will be a regular workshops open to the public as well as a camp for kids who want to learn more about working with music & video on the Mac. It’s also the first Apple Store with Apple’s new “Startup” tables, where employees get customers up and running on their new computers, iPhones and iPads.
Speaking of computers, in the past, the centerpiece of the Apple Stores were its most powerful computers – maybe a Mac Pro (their most powerful line) driving two 30-inch monitors, loaded with professional audio and video software. But out of dozens of computers on display, just one is a Mac Pro. Recently, Steve Jobs compared computers to trucks and mobile devices to cars, suggesting that there will always be a market for trucks, but most people will prefer a car. Apple is still very much in the truck business, just not monster trucks.
By chance, I ran into Nathan Miles, the owner of Valencia Mac on his way out of the store. Nathan was in good spirits, holding his head high and proudly sporting a Valencia Mac t-shirt. He’s a big fan of the Apple store – his own shop takes may cues from Apple’s look and feel. He carries many of the same products, save for the iPhone, and he’s a creative professional, as many Apple customers tend to be.
It had to be a nervous day for him, but he’s always expected Apple to come to Santa Clarita. In fact, he expected to see it happen sooner. He’s optimistic that the new store is a blessing in disguise, as the user base of Mac users in the SCV increases. I know from experience that his shop can give a personal touch that’s different from a corporate store. But at the same time, Apple’s stores operate in a way few retailers can match.
In all, it was a big day for the SCV, and bigger still for geeks like myself. Now if we could only get a decent coffee shop…
All photos © Nathan Imhoff
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