Apple's Core Stores

Two new Apple Computer stores will open this weekend – at Tysons Corner (McLean, Va.) and Glendale (Calif.) Galleria – marking the start of the company's new retail strategy, announced last week. The Cupertino, Calif.-based computer manufacturer said it intends to open 25 retail stores across the U.S. in 2001. Among the expected sites are three of the major urban retail centers – New York, Chicago and San Francisco – plus Mall of America in Minneapolis.

“The Apple stores offer an amazing new way to buy a computer,” said ceo Steve Jobs. “Rather than just hear about megahertz and megabytes, customers can now learn and experience the things they can actually do with a computer, like make movies, burn custom music CDs and publish their digital photos on a personal website.”

The stores will carry over 300 third-party software titles for both professionals and consumers, and will depend on the service of salespeople demonstrating proprietary Macs running applications like iTunes and iMovie, as well as Mac OS X, the company's new operating system. All of the Macs will be connected tothe Internet, and several will be connected to complementary digital products such as cameras, camcorders,MP3 players and hand-held organizers.

The company has made impressive rebounding moves in the past year or so, with the rehiring of co-founder Jobs and the introduction of a colorful, sleek, eye-catching desktop and laptop PC design. But that has not made Apple immune from the pinch of a lagging PC sector. While it has slashed prices on many of its products to reduce inventory build-up, it is also aggressive courting the retail marketplace.