Even though Apple entered the retail business largely as a defensive move to gain more control of the customer experience, the climate then was anything but welcoming. Gateway was operating direct-to-consumer retail stores and failing fast. Apple had to learn how to do things differently.

Less than two years after Apple opened its retail stores, Gateway shut down all of its shops and laid off more than 2,500 workers. Three years later CompUSA shuttered its 23 year-old chain of stores. So while there was little expectation and no guarantee that Apple might succeed selling its own computers in this miserable retail climate, amazingly, somehow it thrived. …»

Steve Chazin en Marketing Apple nos resume muy bien las circunstancias del nacimiento e increíble crecimiento sostenido de la cadena de tiendas de la marca de la manzana mordida. Nada demasiado nuevo, pero un buen resumen.