In order to further unify the interior look of its stores, Apple will soon begin carrying third-party accessories in packages that were co-designed by the company. According to an article on 9to5Mac, the move is part of an overall makeover spearheaded by retail chief Angela Ahrendts to reduce the variety of product packaging on store shelves.
Companies like LifeProof, Mophie, Tech21, Logitech, and Sena are taking part, and the first new packages should start appearing on store shelves as soon as next week. The revised boxes are sleeker and look similar to Apple product boxes — white, with a minimum of imagery on the exterior. It’s expected that Apple will soon start limiting accessory sales to only top-quality products in order to further reduce clutter in the stores.
Apple’s new Upper East Side store in Manhattan features another clutter-cleaner that could make it to more Apple Stores — a hide-away display fixture for first-party accessories.
Our Take On The News
A lot of Apple’s cachet comes from the unique layout and look of its retail stores. The stores have come a long way from the crowded look with rows of books and software boxes; this is a great move to further de-clutter the stores and place even more emphasis on Apple’s product line. It may, however, be difficult for new accessory manufacturers to get their products on Apple Store shelves in the future.
