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It was 13 years ago today that Apple launched its first retail stores in McLean, Virginia and Glendale, California. Since then, the iPad maker has managed to grow its brick-and-mortar stores to more than 400. During a decade when the U.S. has suffered a financial slow down, it is incredible to see what Apple has accomplished in just over a dozen years.
Retale created a time-lapse infograph of the development of Apple Retail Stores across the U.S. from 2001 to 2014. The map shows the growth of the company’s stores and the milestones that took place each year.
Within the first year, Apple built 26 retail stores in the U.S. the same year that the iPod came out. You may recall that the iPod spurred changes to the way we listen to music so much that the entire record industry is completely different than it was 13 years ago.
In 2002, Apple launched about two-dozen more stores in the U.S., bringing the grand total to 50. In 2003, the iTunes store was born. Apple added another 25 stores to the nation. By 2007, there were more than 175 stores in the U.S. when the first generation iPhone launched. Apple sold 6.1 million smartphones that year, making it the third largest mobile phone manufacturer.
Four years ago, Apple changed the way we experience home computing with the iPad. The company had grown to 224 retail stores in the U.S. By 2010, things really started to pick up for the brick-and-mortar portion of the tech giant’s business.
This year, Apple has 254 stores in the U.S. with 424 worldwide. The reason the company’s retail store count grew so big during the nations recession might be due in part to the way the stores are designed.
Customers walk into a tech playground. You can tap, click, and hold every single device in the store. If you want to see what the Retina display looks like on a 13-inch MacBook Pro, walk into your local Apple Retail Store and take one for a test drive. Wondering if the iPad Air is significantly lighter than your fourth-generation model? You can hold them both in your hand for hours if you wish to really run the tablets through their paces. Many, if not all, Apple Retail Stores feature a kids’ corner where children can sit at a table and play games that are specifically geared toward their age group while mom and dad talk with a Genius about setting up their new iPad.
A fully immersive retail store allows consumers to have a hands-on experience with potential electronics. If you were in the market for a new mobile phone in 2007 and held the first iPhone in your hands, it would be difficult to walk away without one.
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