Nick Garrett

Category: design

  • Apple new CEO Tim's email message

    Did I get this right Tim saying Apple is not going to change???

     

    Team:

    I am looking forward to the amazing opportunity of serving as CEO of the most innovative company in the world. Joining Apple was the best decision I’ve ever made and it’s been the privilege of a lifetime to work for Apple and Steve for over 13 years. I share Steve’s optimism for Apple’s bright future.

    Steve has been an incredible leader and mentor to me, as well as to the entire executive team and our amazing employees. We are really looking forward to Steve’s ongoing guidance and inspiration as our Chairman.

    I want you to be confident that Apple is not going to change. I cherish and celebrate Apple’s unique principles and values. Steve built a company and culture that is unlike any other in the world and we are going to stay true to that—it is in our DNA. We are going to continue to make the best products in the world that delight our customers and make our employees incredibly proud of what they do.

    I love Apple and I am looking forward to diving into my new role. All of the incredible support from the Board, the executive team and many of you has been inspiring. I am confident our best years lie ahead of us and that together we will continue to make Apple the magical place that it is.

    Tim

  • Where Ikea fail

    Location…

    Location…

                                                                              Location…

    Don’t get me wrong Ikea are the number one furniture store on the planet but I don’t know if you noticed but the first time u go to an Ikea you invariably get lost!  That is because they are sited normally in areas that have suffered from low urban renewal for some time.

    Getting to an Ikea store can be stressful stuff… does that work for them or against?

    Here in Italy the recent opening of the Parma Ikea had me wondering what the hell goes wrong when the business strategy team step outside their carefully indoctrinated comfort zone – the 30% reduction signs are up and the crowds are way down.  The location of the Parma and Croydon shops are classic examples of getting urban distribution all wrong and here’s why.

    Parma Ikea Location

    The shop is located right alongside the motorway so quite often one associates the Ikea experience as being something you just simply pass by!!

    It is located on the unpopular east side of the city, alongside the Barilla manufacturing plant adjacent to the prison.  Now for local Parmigiani that raises eyebrows immediately!  Couple with that Ikea is targeting a wide catchment area which this location denies.

    15km along the autostrada toward Piacenza and Milan is Fidenza Village, a sprawling mall serving fashion Outlet stores.  The beauty of this location is it draws the Parma crowd and also the Piacenza city catchment.  It wins two markets… not only that the nearby towns of Fiourenzuola and Fidenza also stop and shop in the village.

    This kind of location would have doubled customer flows for Ikea.  On the East side of town it is in an unpopular no-go zone and declining.

    The Croydon Store

    Same story situated in Purley way the store is on the edge of London and Croydon‘s high population density areas.

    Coming to the store from South London is a hard difficult stop start drive cutting across all kinds of traffic clusters and clogged arteries.

    In terms of catchment it finds itself in a fading out area bordering on Surrey – a place where only the lowly shop seriously at Ikea.

    So how well do you feel Ikea do placing their stores around your world?

    Would it be better to do this differently… like compact stores such as Ikea Kitchen and Bath? Ikea spare parts stores etc??

    Post a comment and I will reply by return…