Sony Corp.

With the success of the Apple retail store, the most profitable per square foot stores in the world, it’s no surprise to see Sony and Microsoft wanting in on the action. Nearly 3 years ago, Sony unveiled their first revamped store in Century City, CA. Out was the high end look of the store which was perceived as intimidating and in was a new, fun, and bright retail experience. Unlike previous stores that had many products behind locked glass cages, the new Sony retail experience has all the tech you want and laid out for use. You can shoot with every camera, touch every tablet, feel all the accessories, and watch any television in the store, including Sony’s 4K XBR fleet. Want to test out the NEX-7? Great, just pick it up and point it at the many wonderful sceneries Sony has built within the stores for your enjoyment.

With a completely revamped customer experience, Sony then turned its attention to the store layouts. Now, the entire store can be seen from any angle with low kiosks throughout with your favorite tech out in the open. Gone is the low light experience and, instead, you can find a colorful store with bright lights and large screens throughout. In fact, the new Sony retail stores have shelves that sit on a rail which allow staff members to easily rearrange the store and its layout, ensuring that your experience changes with different visits. This also provides Sony with more flexibility as new products come and makes highlighting of select products much easier. Wondering what song is playing in the store? Just look at the many different vertical panels throughout the store that display tips, tricks and yes, the artist info from the song being played at the given moment. With the concept stores now a reality, Sony then shifted its attention towards revamping their old stores with this new model and three previous stores have now been reopened with the new concept.