Apple’s Flagship Store

Recently I went shopping with my sister, but because she’s recovering from a concussion, she had to wear earplugs so that she didn’t get a headache due to the loud environment.  This led me to question whether some stores are too loud in general.

According to an article, Apple’s flagship store in Palo Alto is “WAY TOO LOUD” (1).  The cause of the issue is the flawed design of the store.  There “isn’t a square inch of sound-absorbing material in the entire place..” (1).  At the time of opening it was louder than “the EPA-identified maximum to protect against hearing loss” (1).

The store’s volume has led to some customer complaints.  However, the question is:  how does Apple fix this so that the flagship Apple store can allow its customers and employees to work in an environment where they don’t have to worry about their health?

Ethically, Apple must resolve this issue.  It is the right thing to do.  That’s factoring in that this particular location is seen as a “communications channel with its customers” by Apple (2).  It is not like Apple doesn’t have the financial resources.

Even though Apple’s brand is strong and users wouldn’t switch over to PCs, customers could switch over to its direct competitor, the nearest, smaller Apple store.  However, the situation is exacerbated by the store’s location in (one of the most expensive cities in the United States) Palo Alto, which is 17 minutes away from Apple Inc.’s headquarters.  As the flagship store, Apple’s actions should be guided by the fact that it’s the flagship store they are dealing with.

If I was a resident of Palo Alto and my sister needed to buy a new Mac though, I know I wouldn’t be taking her to the flagship store.

Sources:

1 – http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/11/11/apples-new-palo-alto-store-is-way-too-loud/

2 – http://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonykosner/2012/11/12/new-flagship-apple-store-in-palo-alto-a-jobs-legacy-is-cool-but-unbearably-noisy/