This has got to be a retailer's wet dream: Oobject is listing all the different objects and design elements of the Apple store and show you where to find them yourself.
Now I know there were already quite a few restaurants who are happy to sell you the furniture you use on their premises, but this is taking the concept a step further. And I kind of suspect there are quite a few people who will buy into this, as evidenced by the amount of votes and discussion on different objects on the site.
Further evidence that the Apple brand is a lot more than it's individual products, I do not know that many people who like Apple and visit New York without a visit to one of the stores. How much more of an advocate can you become if you're willing to turn your house into a copy of a store? Even if it's just little things and touches (like the cable holders I quite fancy myself), it still is a very powerful testament to the power of a brand.
The difference with the restaurants (and some hotels, as was kindly pointed out to me) is that this is all based on people wanting to dress their homes like this, not a service that is being offered by Apple...
On another note: what if Apple exploited this potential to evolve as a true retail brand? When I visited some Apple shops (we don't really have the concept stores, but reek Apple, don't worry) in Belgium it struck me to see that most of the products they have on sale are not really Apple products. There's lots of bags, different kinds of sound systems and speakers, software, midi controllers, and so on... And they all take on a different kind of shine than if they were put in, let's say, Mediamarkt and, to a certain extent even Fnac (a store I love by the way).
The biggest challenge probably is the balance between the Apple brand and the third party gear that's on offer... Apple became a big brand because they did things their way, and it only worked their way. But as they open up to a wider selection of third party offers, both in hard- and software, they will need some control over the effects of these things on their brand.
On the other hand, it's a very shiny store...
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