History of Apple Store in Timeline

The Apple Store is a retail chain owned and operated by Apple Inc. These stores primarily sell, service, and repair Apple products, including Mac computers, iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and Apple TVs. They also offer software and a range of Apple-branded and third-party accessories. The Apple Store serves as a key point of contact for customers to experience and purchase Apple's ecosystem of products and receive support.

1993: Opening of The Company Store at Apple Campus

In 1993, Apple opened "The Company Store" at its Apple Campus in Cupertino, California, which was the only place to purchase Apple merchandise.

November 10, 1997: Announcement of Apple Online Store

On November 10, 1997, Steve Jobs announced the online store at an Apple press event, emphasizing that Apple was coming after Dell with its new products, store, and build-to-order manufacturing.

1997: Decline in Mac Authorized Resellers

Between 1997 and 2000, the number of Mac authorized resellers dropped from 20,000 to just 11,000, with Apple making the majority of these cuts.

1997: Relaunch of Apple Online Store and Retail Program Revamp

In 1997, Steve Jobs relaunched Apple's online store and initiated efforts to revamp the retail program. This was driven by a need to improve the company's relationship with consumers and enhance the retail presentation of Apple products.

1997: Steve Jobs Returns and Focuses on Retail

In 1997, Steve Jobs returned to Apple as interim CEO and began a campaign to improve the retail presentation of Macintosh computers, aiming to boost sales and differentiate the Mac user experience from Windows.

1998: Tim Cook Joins Apple and Cuts Channel Partners

In 1998, Tim Cook joined Apple as Senior Vice President for Worldwide Operations and announced the company would cut channel partners that did not provide the buying experience Apple expected.

1999: Millard Drexler Joins Apple's Board

In 1999, Jobs personally recruited Millard Drexler, former CEO of Gap Inc., to serve on Apple's board of directors.

1999: CompUSA Adopts Apple Store-Within-A-Store Concept

In 1999, after a trial at retail outlets in Japan, CompUSA began to adopt the new concept for Apple "store-within-a-store" for its locations, designed as a self-contained showroom with a minimalistic design.

2000: Ron Johnson Hired as SVP of Retail Operations

In 2000, Apple hired Ron Johnson, vice president of merchandising at Target, to serve as Apple's senior vice president of retail operations.

2000: Targeting Dell as a Competitor

In 2000, Jobs proclaimed that Apple would be targeting Dell as a competitor, with Cook's mandate to match or exceed Dell's lean inventories and streamlined supply chain.

2000: Hiring Ron Johnson

In 2000, Ron Johnson was hired by Apple to revamp the retail program. This was part of an effort to improve the company's relationship with consumers and enhance the retail experience.

May 15, 2001: Press Event at First Apple Store

On May 15, 2001, Steve Jobs hosted a press event at Apple's first store, located at the Tysons Corner Center in Tysons, Virginia, near Washington, D.C.

May 2001: Opening of the First Apple Stores

In May 2001, Apple, under the leadership of CEO Steve Jobs, opened its first two physical retail stores. This move aimed to improve the presentation and sales of Apple's products directly to consumers. The media was initially skeptical, but the stores proved highly successful.

2001: Ron Johnson's Start Date

In 2001, Ron Johnson held the position of Senior Vice President of Retail Operations.

2002: Design Patent for Glass Staircase

In 2002, Apple received a design patent for its glass staircase design, highlighting the company's focus on architectural innovation in its retail stores.

2004: Apple Stores Reach $1 Billion in Annual Sales

In 2004, Apple's retail program reached $1 billion in annual sales, becoming the fastest retailer in history to do so.

2006: Apple Store Sales Reach $1 Billion Per Quarter

By 2006, Apple Stores had reached $1 billion in sales per quarter, demonstrating the continued success and growth of the retail program.

2006: Steve Jobs elected to Disney's board of directors

In 2006, Steve Jobs was elected to Disney's board of directors.

2006: Opening of New York City's Fifth Avenue store

In 2006, the opening of New York City's Fifth Avenue store was highly frequented, with visitors from Europe flying in for the event.

August 2009: Apple Regent Street Store is Most Profitable in London

In August 2009, the London Evening Standard reported that Apple's first store in the United Kingdom, on Regent Street, was the most profitable shop of its size in London, generating £60 million annually.

October 2009: Steve Jobs to Help Overhaul Disney Stores

In October 2009, it was reported that Steve Jobs and his retail team would assist in "drastically overhauling" Disney Stores, leveraging his success with Apple Stores.

July 2011: Discovery of Fake Apple Store in China

In July 2011, a blogger reported the discovery of a fake Apple Store in Kunming, China, which remarkably mimicked the appearance and feel of a real Apple Store.

November 1, 2011: Ron Johnson's Departure Date

Ron Johnson held the position of Senior Vice President of Retail Operations from 2001 until November 1, 2011.

2011: Apple Stores Generate High Revenue Per Employee

In 2011, Apple Stores in the United States had an average revenue of $473,000 for each employee. All Apple Stores had a combined revenue of US$16 billion.

2011: Apple Store Sales Reach $16 Billion

In 2011, Apple's strong product sales placed it among the top-tier retail stores, with global sales exceeding $16 billion. This milestone highlighted the success of Apple's retail strategy and its popularity among consumers.

2011: Attention to Detail

In 2011, The New York Times noted that the features in Apple Stores, such as glass staircases, were part of then-CEO Steve Jobs' extensive attention to detail.

January 2012: John Browett Takes Retail Leadership

In January 2012, Apple transferred retail leadership to John Browett. Browett was later fired after six months.

2012: Fake Apple Store Mentioned in US Presidential Debate

In 2012, the fake Apple Store discovered in China was mentioned by U.S. presidential contender Mitt Romney during the second election debate.

October 2013: Angela Ahrendts Hired

In October 2013, Apple hired Angela Ahrendts from Burberry to lead retail operations.

2014: Design Patent for Glass Cube

In 2014, Apple received a separate design patent for its "iconic" glass cube at the Fifth Avenue store in New York City. The cube was designed in part by Peter Bohlin.

June 2015: Apple Campus Store Closed for Renovations

In June 2015, the store at Apple Campus on Infinite Loop was closed for renovations.

August 2015: Revamp of Online Storefront

In August 2015, Apple revamped the online storefront, removing the dedicated "Store" tab and making the entire website a retail experience.

May 2016: Report on Hostile Work Environment

A report in May 2016 highlighted a hostile work environment within Apple Stores, citing customer harassment, intense internal criticism, and a lack of significant bonuses for securing major business contracts. This revealed challenges faced by retail employees despite the company's overall success.

May 2016: Redesign of Union Square Apple Store

In May 2016, Apple significantly redesigned its Union Square Apple Store in downtown San Francisco, incorporating large glass doors, open spaces with touch-sensitive tables, re-branded spaces like "The Avenue", "Genius Grove", "The Forum", and "The Plaza", with the goal of creating "town squares".

May 2016: Redesign of Apple Store in Union Square

In May 2016, Apple's senior vice president of retail, Angela Ahrendts, unveiled a redesigned Apple Store in Union Square, San Francisco. The redesign included large glass doors, open spaces, and rebranded rooms, aiming to enhance the customer experience.

May 2016: Dissatisfaction Among Retail Workers

In May 2016, a Business Insider article featured an interview with an anonymous Apple Store retail worker in the United Kingdom, highlighting significant dissatisfaction among retail workers.

2016: "Today at Apple" educational sessions launched

In 2016, Apple launched "Today at Apple" educational sessions with its Union Square redesign. These sessions offer more than 60 free hands-on classes for creative skills.

April 2017: Expansion of "Today at Apple" Educational Sessions

In April 2017, Apple announced that the "Today at Apple" educational sessions, which launched with its Union Square redesign in 2016 and offer more than 60 free hands-on sessions for creative skills, would be expanded to all of its stores.

May 2017: Launch of Today at Apple Program

In May 2017, Apple launched the Today at Apple program, offering customers free training from a Creative in over 60 different sessions covering device knowledge, Apple's professional film, music editing software, coding for kids, and classroom integration of Apple products.

November 17, 2017: Opening of Apple Park Visitor Center Store

On November 17, 2017, a similar store with exclusive merchandise opened as part of the Apple Park Visitor Center.

May 2018: Video Wall Added to Apple Stores

Starting in May 2018, Apple began adding Video Walls to stores worldwide and upgrading them in some locations such as Apple Palo Alto.

April 2019: Angela Ahrendts Leaves Apple

In April 2019, Angela Ahrendts left Apple, and Deirdre O’Brien expanded her role to include People and Retail.

May 2021: Apple to Open More Stores Globally

In May 2021, Deirdre O'Brien stated that Apple plans to continue opening more stores worldwide in the future.

August 2021: Redesigned Store Section Returns

In August 2021, a redesigned store section of the website returned, with products still being able to be purchased directly through their respective pages.

April 2022: Unionization Effort in Atlanta Store

In April 2022, employees at the Apple Store in Cumberland Mall in Atlanta, Georgia, showed significant interest in unionizing, seeking better wages, benefits, and profit-sharing. This effort aimed to make it the first unionized Apple retail store in the United States.