Apple Store patrons at Briarwood Mall were surprised Friday morning to see their local store — which has been a part of the Briarwood shopping scene since 2007 — had moved to a more spacious, central location within the mall.
The new location features an upgraded Genius Bar, a back-to-school deals table, expanded display tables and creative skill workshops that teach customers how to use their Apple products.
Jen Warner, who was at the store to pick up a product for her company, accidentally went to the old location before realizing the store had relocated. After finding the new location, Warner said she was impressed by the reworked design.
“It’s fabulous,” Warner said. “It smells new. It’s like a new car smell. The design is sleek, it’s clearly designed to hold way more people and product and I think they’re going to be a great success in this location once people realize they’re here.”
This sentiment was echoed by Apple fan Dre Pang, who drove from Chicago to Ann Arbor specifically for the Briarwood reopening. Pang has traveled to attend more than 10 different Apple Store openings, including locations in Detroit, Miami, Pittsburgh and in cities throughout China.
Pang said the location reflected a new design era for Apple Stores, particularly the increase in product displays from a single-table row to a four table-wide design.
“It’s like a new generation of the store,” Pang said. “I think this store finally keeps up. From the really old classic design store — only one table wide — to a lot of tables right now. So it’s definitely a huge upgrade for the area.”
Pang visited his first Apple Store when his dad took him to see the opening of the Westlake Apple Store in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. He said the memory of that visit made him an Apple fan, and through traveling, he’s made friends who share his love of Apple.
“I met a lot of friends … when we were lining up for [Apple Store] openings,” Pang said. “In Changsha, I met dozens of new people who also love visiting new stores. It’s quite nice.”
According to a press release from Apple, wheelchair accessibility was a primary concern when designing the new store. The store aimed to address these concerns by including wide pathways and tables of varying heights. They sourced materials locally and partnered with Ann Arbor businesses during construction, while running the shop completely on renewable energy.
Ann Arbor resident Joey Fortin, an incoming freshman at Michigan State University, and his father, Jason Fortin, were at the grand opening with the rest of their family. The Fortins were long-time patrons of the old Briarwood location, and attended the opening to buy a new MacBook and capitalize on back-to-school deals.
“When we saw the new store was opening, we live a mile away, so we wanted to get in and check it out.,” Jason Fortin said. “Joey is starting college, and we were going to get a computer … he’s getting $100 off, I think.”
While the design was different, Joey Fortin said he feels the customer service and experience has been preserved.
“I noticed that some of the workers from the old Apple store are still working at this one,” Joey Fortin said. “I’d say it’s pretty similar customer service. Still really helpful. Pretty much instant.”
Daily Staff Reporter Rebecca Borlace can be reached at rborlace@umich.edu.
