Podcast
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The title of Ron Johnson’s forthcoming memoir, “Shop Different,” is a riff on Apple’s famous “Think Different” campaign. It’s been a quarter-century since a skeptical Steve Jobs brought Johnson in to create a store that would fit the computer maker’s vibe and communicate its philosophy — while also expanding its audience beyond the professional creatives who were its core customers.
The book’s title is fitting because it’s fair to say that Johnson made his mark in brick-and-mortar retail with his work at Apple. He didn’t have to include what came after — his short but disastrous stint as the CEO of J.C. Penney — but he does.
In this month’s episode of The Backroom, Johnson sat down with Retail Dive Lead Reporter Daphne Howland to talk about how he got into retail, the journey with Jobs at Apple, what the heck happened at Penney — and his philosophies about retail stores, customer service and life.
Resource links:
- How can stores compete with speedy delivery? By slowing down.
- Every store is a flagship
- Former J.C. Penney CEO reveals he tried to quit three times
- How to run A stores in a B mall
Editor’s note: This episode was produced and edited by Caroline Jansen.
