The Today At Apple Concept: How Apple Is Looking Ahead

It was last week when Apple first debuted its Today at Apple concept. The idea is to significantly expand or maybe redefine the basic concept of the Apple Store, which not only will sell Apple’s products but also host free classes and even concert events. The Today at Apple concept is basically the iPhone maker saying to everybody that they are all invited to become part of the Apple brand, if they are willing to embrace Apple as part of their lives.

This is yet another example of Apple welcoming innovation, not only in terms of technology, but also in the way that technology can be made available for all. In this day and age wherein everything is done through mobile devices, the idea of a physical store is rapidly evolving. The fact of the matter is: everybody does their shopping online now, so how can Apple change its Apple store to reflect the changing times?

Apple users are remarkably loyal customers, and when there is a new product coming, they often do not bother to go the nearest store to try it out. What happens is that they preorder that device, and when it gets delivered to their doorstep, that is often the start of their user experience -- with no test driving involved, so to speak.

So what purpose does the Apple Store have now? Not literally a store anymore, but something for the Apple fan to enjoy and visit and learn from, just not buy from. If you think of the new Apple Store as a club, then you are not wrong. Perhaps it is a club for the modern day Apple user, or for those who want to be one.

It is no surprise that Apple has begun to realize that it is now more than just the products it sells. It is also telling that in the past quarters, it may not be able to rely that much anymore on its best selling products, especially the iPhone (whose sales have struggled in recent years). Fortunately, the company has a thriving services business, but to perfectly clear, it is not as big as its smartphone business yet. But the fact that Apple’s service business has posted an 18 percent increase in revenue may have suggested that maybe, just maybe, going beyond the iPhone business is the right direction to take.

After all, with the increase in popularity of live streaming and virtual reality and augmented reality, it is all about experiencing things now. And Apple may have realized this sooner than its rivals. And so the Apple Store has transformed from a place that sells Apple devices, into a cooler place that sells Apple experiences.