Page 234 - The Apple Experience

He wanted them to gamble with twenty feet of their time. He wanted to
make the experience easy.

There are some old adages in retailing—pile it high and let ’em fly, or

grab and go. For years retailers simply put products on shelves and tried to

get people through the door. Now most large retailers have high-priced

consultants who conduct motion studies to track how customers walk around

a store and what appeals to their eyes. What they are finding is that most

people are attracted to a clean layout, uncluttered displays, clear pricing, and
simple signage. In 2001, Steve Jobs and Ron Johnson understood what

motion studies and neuroscientists have recently discovered: customers

appreciate open space, natural light, unobstructed views, clean stores, and

friendly people. If those two men were right about store design well before

the rest of the retail world caught up to them, perhaps they were right about

the other components of the customer experience as well!

CHECKOUT

1. Unclutter the retail space. The last ten years of research have confirmed that open

spaces and uncluttered environments make customers feel more relaxed and more

receptive to making purchases. Does your store pass the smudge test?

2. Apply the open space philosophy to your website and marketing material.
Eliminate clutter on your site. Be sparing in the use of content. Study the Apple

website (www.apple.com). According to Dr. A. K. Pradeep, the Apple site is the
best example of blending content and space to appeal to the buying brain.

3. Visit and take note. Visit Apple stores, AT&T retail stores, Tesla Motors, and

the new Microsoft stores for design inspiration.