Apple CEO Tim Cook on Tuesday (April 18) opened the doors of the company's first-ever fully-owned retail store-'Apple BKC' to the public in Mumbai.
Unlike most Apple Stores (520 plus) around the world, Apple BKC is not a standalone landmark unit, but a part of the popular Jio World Drive mall in the posh Bandra Kurla Complex region.
Having said that, the Cupertino-based company has done a great job with Apple BKC in terms of infusing local art and resources along with a touch of modern aesthetics synonym with trademark Apple Stores.
Apple BKC: Here are 8 key aspects of Apple's first fully-owned store in India
Architecture: Apple BKC sports a swanky see-through glass facade with massive standalone panels (around 26 feet covering two floors) around the store.
It has special direct access from outside and two interior access, one each from two floors within the complex.
The 22,000 sqft space houses every product that comes from the house of Apple. First floor, you will find iPhones, Watches, iPads, Macs, and AirPods along with MagSafe, and Watch Strap accessories, and at the top floor, you will find the AirTags, and several other accessories (charger adaptors, chords, and more) in addition to information on Apple services such as Apple TV, Music, and Arcade.
Also, there you can interact with Apple store team members to help set up the new Apple device. The table is made from European white wood and comes with smart sensors (more on that later).
On the ground floor, the glass panels and the giant indoor trees lined around exude an open space feel. There is a cozy corner with seats and a giant screen, which will play host to Today at Apple sessions.
As you enter from the front of Apple BKC, you will first notice the beautifully designed 14-meter-long stainless steel staircase connecting the ground level and the cantilevered mezzanine on the second floor.
Local resources used for Apple BKC: Besides the staircase, another attraction of the Apple BKC is the triangular handcrafted timber ceiling. Each tile is said to be made from 408 pieces of timber, forming 31 modules per tile with a total of 1,000 tiles that make up the ceiling.
There are more than 450,000 individual timber elements and it has to be noted that all of them were assembled in Delhi.
Add to that, the two mammoth stone walls in the store are said to be sourced from Rajasthan. The grey stones exude a natural aesthetic feel.
Eco-friendly structure:
In 2020, Apple set an ambitious plan to become a carbon-neutral company. Since the announcement, it has made big strides, as the company runs all its global operations using 100 percent renewable energy.
Also, Apple now uses carbon-free aluminum to manufacture iPhone SE (3rd generation) and it has plans to use recycled cobalt for Apple-designed batteries for its devices by 2025.
Here too, Apple BKC is a Platinum LEED-certified structure and doesn't use any fossil fuel to run the operation. Several elements used for building the store are recycled and sustainable materials. It has a dedicated solar array at the top of the mall (Jio World Drive).
Premium customer care service: Given the fact that Mumbai is a cosmopolitan city, Apple has ensured that there is a big team at the BKC store to cater to people from all walks of life and region across India. It has to be noted that Apple BKC has 100 plus team members and can collectively speak over 20 languages.
Apple BKC members will be able to guide customers in picking the right product that matches their need and also offers lucrative trade-in programmes for users to get the best value for their old products in exchange for a new Apple device. Also, during the special festive seasons, like on the official e-commerce site, the BKC store will provide discounts on products and also for students too, there are Back to School offers.
Add to that, customers can select and pay for the Apple device online and pick the product directly from Apple BKC. (It will be the same with the Apple Saket store, which is slated to open on April 20).
No standalone billing counter: Another unique aspect of Apple BKC is that there is no separate counter. As said before, there will be Apple team members who will come to the customer, wherever he/she is in the Apple BKC, and help them complete the purchase without any hassles.
Cool table: Another small but notable aspect of Apple BKC is the minimalistic ally design wooden table, which has a magic-like power. It comes with sensors and when the hand is waved at the center, a block with charging and ethernet ports opens up. This can be used by customers to transfer their data from the old phone to the new Apple device. If you do the same hand wave gesture, it will go back to its pocket. The wood used for the table is soft and smooth. It is white oak wood imported from Europe.
Today at Apple Session: Like in the other Apple Stores, BKC too will play host to local artists and experts to help customers learn new things and make the best use of Apple products.
From making short movies, to creating keynote presentations to digital art, Apple experts will customers let loose their creativity wild and explore new ways be it for work on projects or on their personal hobby of making collages of images and other creative stuff.
To start with, the company from April 18 till the end of summer will host 'Mumbai Rising' theme-based Today at Apple sessions.
For now, four sessions are lined up as mentioned below:
1) 'Music Lab: Deep Listening in Urban Spaces with Sandunes
2) Photo Lab: Portraits of Resistance with Prarthna Singh
3) Design Lab: Every Poster Tells a Story with Boomranng Studio
4) Art Lab: Drawing Homage to Mumbai with Kohla
Interested customers look for time details and can register online at Today at Apple website (here). Also, ensure the location is set to India >> Maharashtra >> Apple BKC or India >> Delhi >> Apple Saket.
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