[Jun8]

There are only two types of store culture in retail: the right one and the wrong one. Apple obviously totally nails the approach, which when you think about it is actually very suprising, because ragrdless of the company culture, consumer electronics stores of any kind are manned by bored and/or clueless staff. Good examples are the Dell mini stores, Best Buys.

Not a consumer electronics example but a great example of just how big a difference employees who are both excited and knowledgeable about the products they sell is Marbles, the Brain Store. I always felt that the people working there would still be there even if they weren't paid.

[MartinCron]

There are only two types of store culture in retail: the right one and the wrong one

I see where you're coming from, but I love having diverse retail opportunities. Sometimes I want to go to Nordstrom and have a nearly omniscient person guide me to something stylish and expensive. Sometimes I want to go to the indie coffee shop where the staff is competent but aloof. Sometimes I want to scrounge around in thrift stores, usually finding nothing, but sometimes finding a vintage designer suit that fits like it was made for me.

If the entire retail landscape looked and felt like the Apple store (which I do love) that would be kind of terrible.

[Quarrelsome]

That's a bit posh minded isn't it? Lower margin stores don't have the "right culture" because its not affordable and not part of their business strategy.

Not saying that MS is low margin per se but its certainly lower than Apple.

[Jun8]

I don't get your concept of lower margin store: the commission that store employees get is not in general related to the margin, i.e. Apple store workers get one of the lower salaries in that space.