Apple Tops U.S. Retail Chains in Sales Per Square Foot - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Tops U.S. Retail Chains in Sales Per Square Foot

by

retailsails sf sales rankings
RetailSails compiles (via 9to5Mac) a list of the top 20 U.S. retail store chains, revealing that Apple easily leads the pack with sales of well over $5,000 per square foot. Second-place Tiffany & Co. came in well behind at under $3,000 per square foot.

It’s not surprising Apple leads the pack, as there have been numerous articles such as this, but it is quite shocking by how far ahead of the competition they are, especially considering the company only has 10 years of retail experience.

RetailSails' report analyzed over 160 U.S.-based retail companies, reporting sales information and calculated sales per square foot on a global basis.

Some of Apple's flagship locations understandably generate sales significantly above the average, with performance at the company's Fifth Avenue store in Manhattan being pegged at approximately $35,000 per square foot several years ago.

Popular Stories

Apple iCloud Plus expansion hero

iCloud+ Now Includes Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and Curated Apple Music Stations in Over 100 Countries

Tuesday September 15, 2026 1:43 am PDT by
Apple today announced a new subscription initiative that turns paid iCloud+ subscriptions into a broader services bundle in more than 100 countries. In select countries, Apple says every paid iCloud+ plan, including the cheapest 50GB tier, now includes Apple TV and Apple Arcade "at no additional cost," while family sharing extends the storage, TV and Arcade access to up to five people....
Read Full Article • 111 comments
Everything New Your iPhone Can Do on iOS 27 Feature 1

50 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27 - Out Now!

Monday September 14, 2026 10:48 pm PDT by
Apple released iOS 27 this week, and despite the company's focus this year on refining its flagship operating system and nixing bugs, there are still many additional features to explore, not least of which is Apple's new context-aware Siri, re-tooled for the generative AI era. Which iPhones Support Every iOS 27 Feature? This year's major iPhone software update isn't all about AI, though,...
Read Full Article • 50 comments
iOS 27 Icon iPhone

iOS 27 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by
Update — 10 a.m. Pacific Time: Apple has released iOS 27. During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features and...
Read Full Article • 111 comments

Top Rated Comments

applesith Avatar
applesith
197 months ago
Could the average cost of Apple products vs. the average cost of products at other stores also be part of this (meaning Apple has more expensive products)?

I think so.

I take it you don't shop at Tiffany's?
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
N
nastebu
197 months ago
Also take into consideration the PRICE of the machines they sell per squarefoot.

I would think that not only Tiffany's (#2), but also Coach (#3), has a higher average price for their merchandise.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
W
wol
197 months ago
Makes me wonder where the Microsoft retail stores end up in sales per square foot... ;)
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I
iMaci7
197 months ago
Makes me wonder where the Microsoft retail stores end up in sales per square foot... ;)

They will just open realy really small stores to beat apple at this record
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TimUSCA Avatar
TimUSCA
197 months ago
This is likely due to Apple's *very* strategic store location planning. They're very careful to not water down their brand by putting stores on every corner a la Radio Shack. Plus, they generally only put them in upscale shopping areas.

Pair that with the fact that people love buying their Apple products in a brick & mortar store, and it's an instant win!

They deserve it, really. Nobody thought their stores would survive, and look at them now. Their stores are what really allowed them to survive and do so well over the last decade. I credit them to really "saving" the company.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
T
Tiger8
197 months ago
Disruptive

I am reading a book called 'Disrupt!' about businesses that thought outside the box, the Apple retail store is listed as one of the examples. Apparently, Apple observed that users like not only to look at a product, but interact with it: Touch it, feel it, as if it is their own. All Apple sales reps are trained not to hassle customers, be responsive but not to be over the customer's shoulder as they are shopping (have you been to a furniture store recently? Jesus!)

Apple sells an experience in their store, and they make it so easy for you to wip the plastic out and any t-shirt wearing sales rep can instantly do the checkout for you. No need to drag all the stuff and go to the 'checkout line'
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments