Apple Store revamp means more Genius Bars, fewer video walls

Apple’s slow-walk of store refurbishment to the new “standard” is getting a boost, with Genius Bar, pickup table, and Avenue updates on the way to more stores, faster.

Apple retail sales efforts focus on Apple Stores as more than just a place to buy hardware, but also a local and physical representation of the brand. As the company’s leadership changes, so too is the company’s retail strategy.

According Mark Gurman in Sunday’s “Power On” newsletter for Bloomberg, there will be a big shake-up on the way for Apple’s retail arm.

For a start, instead of continuing a rapid expansion and bringing stores to new places quickly, it will instead be more selective on where it will open them. Rather than widening the reach, Apple is picking up the pace on store renovations around the world in the coming years.

Eclectic Avenues

The revamp will focus on three areas of the Apple Store itself. A big one is the update to the Avenue, referring to the sections on the sides of the stores for accessories and Apple Services.

There will be two new Avenue sections, including one for online pick-ups and another for Today at Apple hands-on sessions. While the current store layout use a dedicated pick-up table and a large seating area, they will be put into their own 10-foot bays.

The online pick-up bay will be made completely from wood, with the upper half featuring an Apple logo while the lower will have secured drawers for orders. A table will be in front for employees to actually conduct the handoff to customers.

Today at Apple’s Avenue bay will also be wood, with the top section looking like an oversized TV. The lower section will again use secured drawers to hold equipment.

In front will be a fixed table for the instructor as well as a few surrounding stools.

Genius Bars and bye-bye video walls

A second change will be the removal of the large video walls at many stores. While used for Today at Apple sessions and for marketing videos, Apple will be removing them so that it can have more space for more traditional retail elements.

For most stores, this will be replaced by new Genius Bars, again all-wood in construction. Two counter heights will be used for accessibility, with a background of storage drawers and large product posters.

The Genius Bar at the Tysons Corner Apple Store in 2023.

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AppleInsider was at the reopening of the Tysons Corner store, which is an exemplar of that strategy. Our photo from that 2023 refurbishment shows what the company has in mind for the Genius Bar, as a fairly long wooden line along one wall.

The new bars and other changes will be made to integrate with existing store designs, so they look like they were always meant to be part of the original design.

Changes will also affect staff-facing areas, including new break rooms and updated back-of-house areas. Staff will also face stricter morning meeting rules, including not drinking or using devices and staying standing throughout.

All store employees will also be expected to applaud the first customers to enter the store each day.

Testing and rollout

Gurman writes that some of these changes have already been used in some Apple Stores, as we’ve demonstrated. The plan now is to roll out this design chain-wide, and faster than originally planned.

This has apparently involved testing concepts internationally. A more global rollout will also take place over the next few years.

Before Apple’s event, there were rumors of Apple preparing a store refresh. However, that was intended to be a way to promote Apple’s smart home devices, which were not announced during the September presentation.

These changes could certainly arrive in the future alongside new products.