Apple\'s real success

Apple's retail stores are the , according to one MarketWatch columnist. At his Expo keynote, Steve Jobs announced that the stores had their first $1 billion sales quarter from 135 stores and over 26 million visitors to their stoy. Industry Pundit John Dvorak writes: "Amongst the successes is the somewhat overlooked locomotive that pulls the Apple train: the Apple Store. Apple has proven, hopefully once and for all, that the branded retail specialty store is the key to success in high margin design-oriented high technology sales. It works with cars; it works with clothes; it works with shoes. Why not computers?" While looking at the various manufacturer-owned stores that sold a single brand, he concludes: "After decades of computer store missteps it's apparent that Apple has a winning formula that can now be used to leverage sales of anything it wants to sell. And, unlike the multi-brand department style of computer store, it can control the sales pitch. That's the key."

by MacNN Staff