Apple opened its first retail stores 15 years ago today

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San Francisco Apple Store Line
Customers queuing outside an Apple Store in San Francisco.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Fifteen years ago today, Apple opened the doors of its first two brick-and-mortar retail stores in McLean, Virginia and Glendale, California.

For a trip down memory lane (a nice way of saying “a way to make you feel really old”), check out the below video of Steve Jobs offering a personal guided tour of what customers setting foot in an official Apple Store could expect.

While plenty has changed in the years since — from an aggressive expansion program overseas, and a new retail boss in the form of Angela Ahrendts, to a recent Jony Ive-designed makeover — one thing that has stayed the same is Apple’s focus on customer experience.

Considering how much of a gamble it seemed at the time, the Apple Store experiment has been a tremendous success — and something rival companies like Samsung and Microsoft have been totally unable to match, despite their best efforts.

Do you have a favorite Apple Store? Leave your comments below.

Via: Time

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